Hunter
by Zelha
Summary: AltRe. Just when Sakura thought things couldn't get worse, she's forced to deal with a cool, infuriating Uchiha. Compelled by her skill and abrasive attitude, said Uchiha finds the medic... intriguing. Clearly, Fate was out of its bloody mind. ItaSaku.
1. All is Full of Love

**Disclaimer:** I don't own, or course. Not Naruto, nor Bjork's songs. I do own a black cloak, but with no red clouds. -pouts-.

**Summary:**Just when Sakura thought things couldn't get worse, she is forced to deal with a coolly and infuriating Uchiha. Compelled by her skill and abrasive attitude, said Uchiha finds the pink-haired medic... intriguing. Clearly, Fate was out of its mind.

**AN:** Hay there! I just want to point out that this is my take on Non-Massacre!AU ItaSaku, so please bear with me with the apparent OOC-ness that I'm sure will follow in the present plot. I believe that Itachi wouldn't be so friggin' psychotic insane if he didn't find out about _you know who_, so this would be probably not so cool for the Canon!Itachi fans. I've planned the whole story already, and most of the manga arcs will be revisited and twisted from the point of view of the main characters. Also, I'd like to tip my hat at Paws Bells and her stories, because they were the ones that prompted my lovely bunny!muse to gnaw at my ear. Thank you for reviving my muse!

For the ones that want to find out about this madness, welcome and enjoy your stay!

_To Adri_. _To Mitsuki_. _To Mary_. _To Jess_.

-X-

**Hunter**

-X-

**Chapter 1: ****All is Full of Love**

-X-

The forest smelled like always did. Birds and little animals were in their peaceful place, while the wind swished gently among the dark green leaves of the trees.

_Now if those two idiots stopped bickering, I__ could try to soothe my migraine_, a certain pink-haired medical kunoichi thought while rubbing her fingertips on her temples.

The mission had been quite easy for the infamous Team Seven. Naruto and Sasuke handled all the bad guys, as usual, while their team leader drowned himself in his smutty book. Good thing for his two star pupils that their third member was a female that had a gentle healing touch as well as a nasty right hook.

Pity for them as well, because they just didn't realize how leveled she was with them.

"Headache, Sakura?" Kakashi asked good-naturedly, without looking up from his reading. An unladylike grunt served as answer enough for him, which prompted him to gaze at his female former student.

"Come on, Sasuke-teme! You know we had them until you chose to go all Shishi-Rendan on the leader of the rogue nins!" a male but whiny voice trailed back to her ears.

"Whatever, dobe," a deep voice in front of her answered, full of scorn and derision. "Your Rasengan was too flashy for them. You might as well wave a Konoha flag under their noses."

"Why-you!--"

"Now now, Naruto, Sasuke, remember your promise back in Wave," Kakashi interjected. Both young men scoffed at their sensei, but soon enough Sasuke tensed, activating his Sharingan.

"Teme, what the-" Kakashi bounced quickly in front of them, putting a hand in front of the blond nin, stopping his whole team in two branches.

"Shhh," he motioned Sakura to come forward. "We have company."

With an inward groan, the pink-haired girl controlled her urge to roll her eyes and obeyed her leader.

-X-

Dropping to the dirt, the four ninjas approached cautiously the four bodies that lay in front of them. Kakashi sighed deeply and slid down his hitai-ate, covering his Sharingan.

"All clear, but these fellows are injured," he said, looking to one of their fallen comrades.

Sakura went forward, pulling off her gloves. "I need to check on them for poison before taking them back to the village," she said, already in her medic mode. Kakashi nodded, but nonetheless stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Try to heal all the wounds you can, but don't remove their masks," he warned seriously. "They are ANBU; therefore their identity must remain anonymous."

"I know, Kakashi-sensei, who do you think you're talking to?" the scorned medic threw a glare at him before kneeling next to the first White Op.

"Naruto, be a dear and bring me some fresh water and your pack—no, on second thought I think I'll go with Kaka-sensei's... gah, I think my own sheets would be more sanitary than all of yours combined."

"Sakura-chan, that was mean," the whiskered shinobi pouted. "I bathed in the rived before entering Fire Country!"

"Which was almost four days ago," Sasuke added with a disgusted grimace.

"Sasuke-kun, do you have extra bandages? This ANBU-san has deep gashes in his left leg."

He reached them to her wordlessly, already knowing that Sakura was beyond reasoning when she was tending to a patient. She placed them on her lap to avoid dirtying them by putting them on the ground, as tendrils of her chakra worked diligently on the wounds with a soft, warm green glow.

The man started when he regained consciousness, but Kakashi was already at his side. "Relax. We're on your side."

"Hatake-sempai," a male muffled voice came out from the mask. "Where are we?"

"Concussion," Sakura reported as she moved one of her hands on his head while the other was securing the bandage on his leg. "Tell me, ANBU-san, how much time has passed since the Sandaime's passing?"

"Oh... almost eight years, I think... or maybe seven years?"

"Let's stay at a mild concussion then, eh? Which is your favorite color?"

"...Blue," she got as an answer and snorted. "Of course, ANBU-san. I would have been really worried if you said pink. Can you stand now?"

Promptly pulled up by the medic and the seasoned Copy Nin, the man stood shakily on his feet.

"Excellent, ANBU-san!" she cheered as she kneeled next to the second operative. "Don't put too much weight on that leg until you're properly treated in the hospital, please. Now... let's patch up the second ANBU-san."

-X-

It took a while, but soon enough she got to kneel at the fourth and last ANBU's side. But apparently he was awake, for his hand shot up to grip hers in a bruising hold.

"Ow! ANBU-san, you're hurting your medic!" she exclaimed, but she didn't try to pull away because she knew how paranoid ninja were with struggling people, especially when they had just regained consciousness. The hand relaxed minutely when the masked face peered up and saw the woman's features hovering on his, apparently examining her.

"This is Haruno Sakura, ANBU-taichou," Kakashi helped clear the man's indecision by tipping Sakura's hitai-ate forward until it was on her forehead. "Surely you know about Tsunade-sama's apprentice."

The man nodded slowly, releasing his grasp.

"We're coming back from a mission in Wave," the silver-haired seasoned Jounin explained. "We stumbled on you guys here. How many are in your squad? Four?"

The masked ninja nodded again after a bit of hesitation. "All are safe and sound, though," Kakashi continued, watching how the lean White Op kept his tense stance. "Haruno-san here patched them up and they're just waiting for your command."

"And you're set, ANBU-san," she said, patting his shoulder. "Only a few kunai scratches and some senbon punctures."

"We can accompany you back to the village," Naruto offered, walking up to the masked group's leader. "It's better if we are in a larger group to avoid more bad guys. I'm sure they'll run away if we're together!"

Only then, the ANBU Captain spoke, startling the youngsters with his cold and detached voice seeping through his mask.

"We will resume our patrolling task," he said. "We appreciate the help, but we need to go back to our duties."

"What? Are you mad?" Sakura blurted out in shock. "Your teammates are exhausted and with no chakra to counter another attack like you just survived! How do you think all of you can resume the patrolling if you are about to drop?"

"Haruno-san," another White Op said soothingly, but apparently aware of his Captain's sudden tenseness of shoulders, "it's okay; we can carry on with our mission."

"Gah!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air regardless of the fact that she had the remaining of Sasuke's bandages in her grasp. "You ANBU are a bunch of reckless idiots! Go and get yourself killed, I don't care. But I'm telling Tsunade-sama of this encounter!"

"Medic," the masked Captain said, with a hint of annoyance in his tone. "You will not do such a thing. We need to resume our appointed task; we cannot go back to Konoha without completing our scouting."

"Do whatever you want, ANBU-san" she growled, pulling her gloves back on. "Kaka-sensei, Naruto, Sasuke-kun, let's go. We are already late and I don't like to disappoint my shishou by pulling a Kakashi."

"Now Sakura, that was mean even for you."

The ANBU squad stood surrounding the jounins. "Thank you for taking care of us," said the one that had addressed to her before. "We owe you one, Haruno-san."

"Yeah, yeah," she dismissed the praise with a wave of her hand. "Remember that when you collapse from fatigue because your Captain is a freaking hard-headed moron."

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto seemed scared of the irritation that rolled out from the ANBU's aura.

"What, ANBU-san?" she asked, smiling sweetly up at the White Op as she snapped closed her medical bag. "Want to report my rudeness towards you? You are most welcome to do it – but you'd have to get back to the village to actually file a complaint against me."

And with that, she bounced to a tree and disappeared through the foliage. Kakashi bowed stiffly to the ANBU, trying to do some damage control as the other two followed the irate pink-haired medic.

"I'm sorry about that... she had a bad time in our mission. My deepest apologies, Itachi-san."

"Do not worry, Kakashi-san," the man responded with a dry voice. "I will not report her. But _you_ will. Good afternoon."

The ANBU disappeared from sight, leaving a rather shocked Copy Ninja.

"Dammit."

-X-

"You have some guts to speak like that to an ANBU Captain, Sakura," Tsunade scolded severely to her sheepish apprentice, who flushed in embarrassment and anger at being told off. "However, you are right. They should have gone back to the village if they were so badly injured. You know your field of expertise, I'm sure of that. But I'm afraid I'll have to punish you for your bad manners towards a high-ranked officer."

"What?! But that's so unfair, shishou!" she protested, not daring to gaze at Naruto's and Sasuke's eyes, for she knew that Naruto would sport a look of pity and Sasuke a glance full of smugness. This humiliation hurt her more than Tsunade's reprimand.

"Shush, we'll talk about this later. Go take a nap in the medic's lounge and report back in four hours, we have a rather interesting sealing procedure to do this evening. The rest of you, scram, I'm tired of seeing your dumb faces."

Sakura just wanted for the ground to split and swallow her. How stupid had she been by going against a higher-ranked shinobi? Sure it felt good at the time, but now she realized her mistake. No matter how stubborn that ANBU was, now she had to pay for her rudeness. And being humiliated in front of Sasuke was worst than any punishment.

"That sucked big time, Sakura-chan," Naruto tried to reassure her by pulling her to a one-armed side hug. "But I know what'll cheer you up: Lunch! My treat! And then you can take that nap and go to work in the hospital full of energy!"

"Sounds like a plan, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline my part," Kakashi butted in, waving goodbye to his students. "I need to run some errands, see you later!"

"Psh! That Kaka-sensei always thinks we're going to pull a trick to see his face again!" Naruto complained loudly, as his teammates reached the bottom of the stairs of the Hokage Tower and made their way through their bustling village, reaching the path that divided the way to the Uchiha District from the other streets, which was flanked by stone benches. "So, want to go, Sakura-chan?"

"Well... are you coming with us, Sasuke-kun?" she ventured shyly, finally gazing at the dark-haired ninja. "We haven't had lunch yet..."

"I'm off," he rebuked coldly. "I need to go report to my Chichiue and resume my training. Fugaku-sama would not appreciate me being late."

"But, Sasuke-kun, I thought we could--"

"I'm going to say this one more time, Sakura: I don't have time for stupid and annoying things like dates and stuff. Don't ask me again, this is getting obnoxious. Jeez."

"Teme! Don't talk like that to Sakura-chan!" Naruto came in her defense, but the Uchiha was already too far away to acknowledge them, his back displaying the red Uchiha fan that was the renowned crest of his clan. "Oh come on, Sakura-chan, I'm sure he doesn't mean it..."

Sakura tightened her lips in an attempt to squash her urge to cry but failing miserably. Hot, bitter tears rolled down her cheeks, as Naruto pulled her to a hug, trying to comfort her as he led her to one of the benches.

"There, there..." he soothed, awkwardly patting her back. "I'm sure he's just being an asshole because he's tired and he just wants to sleep, that's all--"

"No, Naruto..." she sobbed, wiping her tears angrily. "He's right. I should train more, be stronger – I should stop asking him... he's not going to accept me ever."

"That's not true, Sakura-chan," the blond replied hotly. "I'm sure he will open his eyes soon, you just need to give him some time, that's all!"

"What, eight more years, Naruto?" she asked, shaking her head in defeat, still crying. "I waited for eight years and he never made an attempt to be kind to me. He just didn't care when I went out with Neji or Kiba. He never cared enough to ask if I was injured or exhausted. He just called me annoying and weak... and he was right. I am weak, I am annoying..."

"Oh come on, Sakura-chan, that's so not true!" Naruto interjected, pulling back and looking directly to her lovely but puffy emerald eyes. "How can you be weak when you can punch an entire building down? And how can you be annoying when you are the most caring person I've ever met? You heal people without asking anything in return, even if they're assholes like that ANBU back in the forest... you are strong and awesome, Sakura-chan, don't think differently!"

"He's right, you know," a deep voice signaled Kakashi's arrival to the stone bench they were sitting on. "I'm sorry for being such a snitch, Sakura. I had to tell the Hokage about our rendezvous with the ANBU squad."

"Whatever, Kaka-sensei," she sniffled, taking his offered handkerchief. "I know you had to do it. I'm not mad at you. I'm... disappointed at my lack of control... I should have gone straight to Tsunade-shishou and told her about those ANBU's injuries, but my anger got the better of me."

"Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment, Sakura," her team leader recited softly. "But don't let your self-esteem be stomped by anyone. You are a valuable asset to Konoha; you are one of the top medic-nins in the whole village. Remember what you have trained under Tsunade-sama, remember those times you bested one of my traps. You are smart and strong, Sakura. Don't let anyone belittle you."

"You guys are so right..." she said with a deep sigh. "But Sasuke- ... Sasuke's words are correct. I need to train more and forget about shallow things, like dating and whatnot. I need to prove that I'm more than a stupid, annoying girl."

"There's a few ways to prove that, Sakura," Kakashi added with an eye crease, pointing at the hospital. "In there, or in the field. And you know how I don't like that place, but if it's you who treats me, I'll get myself inside willingly."

"Liar," she smiled and hiccupped. "You go to the hospital only when you're half-dead and unconscious."

"But still I get your five-star treatment, Sakura-chan!" he shot back with a hidden grin, knowing that his words would bristle his pink-haired friend. True to his thought, he received an exasperated punch in his arm in retaliation.

"Idiot!" she yelled, and then burst out laughing with Naruto at the sudden dejected look on Kakashi's face. "Thank you guys... I don't know I would do without you."

"Maybe you should take that rest that Tsunade-sama said, you need to restore your chakra," Naruto said, scratching his head thoughtfully. "I kinda wanted to go to Ichiraku, but I hadn't seen that it's almost sunset..."

"Go, Naruto," Sakura said with a wet smile. "I'll go to the hospital now. Rain check on that lunch?"

"Sure, Sakura-chan!" he waved enthusiastically, bidding goodbye to his pink-haired best friend. "See you tomorrow for training!"

Watching her retreating back, he sighed. "Say, Kaka-sensei, are you sure she'll be okay?"

"I'm sure of that, Naruto," the older man responded, his nose already buried in his book. "Looks can be deceiving. She is stronger than most shinobi."

"I hope you're right..." the blond ninja sighed. "Eight years after our graduation and Sasuke still has that pole of ice stuck up his ass. I still don't see why he's so intent in proving he's a worthy son to that imbecile of a father he has. He's a jounin already!"

"It's better not to ask, Naruto," Kakashi sighed behind his Icha Icha. "So how about that ramen? I hope you're still hungry."

"Yeah, I'm starving!" the other agreed, bobbing his head and sending his wild locks flying around his head. "It's your turn to invite me though, Kaka-sensei!"

"Hmm? Yeah, sure," the silver-haired mumbled, in a tone that implied a certain vanishing of its owner once the meal was consumed.

-X-

Entering the medic's lounge, Sakura let out a deep sigh.

Padding silently to a bed in a corner, she placed her sandal boots at the foot of it while she folded her dirty clothes, placing them on a chair.

Dressed in a white jumpsuit that all medic-nins wore when they were on hospital duty, she finally laid down on the bed. The shower she just had merely refreshed her body, but did nothing to soothe her pained heart.

_Eight years_, she mused as she turned to her side, facing the wall. _Eight years and he still hadn't paid the slightest attention to me_.

'Maybe it is time to let go of this crush', her Inner personality intoned in a defeated voice. 'He only cares about his family, his career and his success'.

_He doesn't care about me, no matter how Naruto keeps trying __to get him to open up to us_.

Sakura curved her lips in a tender smile.

_Naruto_..._ it's ironic how the parentless of our team looks after us like he is our real father, even more than Kakashi_._Those two are so precious to me_. They were so right. It was time to let go and take care of her own self. It was time to shake the ground and let the whole Konoha see how much she had grown under Tsunade's wing.

Sakura closed her eyes, tears of humiliation and disappointment seeping from the closed eyelids as she curled in her sleep.

-X-

Yawning widely behind her hand, she accepted one of the energy bars that a nurse handed to her.

"This is better than a soldier pill," the nurse had babbled as they made her way through the hospital hallways. "It helps to rebuild the chakra storages and gives the body plenty of energy. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you I sent your clothes to the laundry, Sakura-sama; I expect them back from the cleaners in two hours at maximum."

"Good, good, thank you very much, Yuuki," she said between munches, throwing a smile at the nurse trying not to spew her bites out. She swallowed, "Tsunade-sama said something about a sealing procedure, am I right? Where it is being held?"

The nurse extended a medical chart on Sakura's hand. "Tsunade-sama asked Shizune-sama to attend the sealing procedure. It seemed a bit of an emergency, so they couldn't wait for you... however she asked me to give you these cases, an ANBU squad just came back and they need to be tended to; almost all of them are badly injured, but the Captain doesn't allow anyone to get close to him to check on his wounds."

Sakura sighed, a pink eyebrow twitching in silent frustration. "Why those ANBU are so freaking stubborn, Yuuki? Which is his room?"

Watching the female stalking down the hallway, the nurse sighed in relief. She surely was a lovely young lady, but sometimes her temper was worse than the Hokage's.

"Good, you're awake, ANBU-san," Sakura saluted coolly before dropping the chart on his bed, not caring about the sudden tense posture, noting his stained bandages. "Awesome sight. Red is certainly a good color."

This seemed to still the masked White Op, allowing the pink-haired medic to do her job. "Two broken ribs and a punctured lung. No wonder you're upset, ANBU-san, but if you kept refusing treatment you would have died from respiratory arrest. That doesn't sound cool, I believe?"

No words came out from the white rodent mask. A weasel, she noted absently, musing about how strange was that mask when all the ANBU forces had masks related to the zodiac. She figured this Op wasn't as religious as the others, as she closed up the lung and digging two fingers on his ribcage, motioning the ribs back to their rightful position, effectively sealing them with a surge of green chakra.

Sakura belatedly noted how the man didn't flinch under her ministrations. His control was impressive, she realized, any other person would have screeched into next century when moving the rib shards so close of the lungs and heart, but he seemed quite at ease with himself despite his obvious tense shoulders.

Sending another wave of chakra to numb and soothe the soreness of the newly healed wounds, she wrapped his torso in bandages and finally pushed his shoulder softly, prompting him to lie down in the bed.

"You are to rest here until I come back with your release form," she said offhandedly, checking the clock that hanged in the wall next to the bed, gasping when she took in the evening hour that was displayed. "I can't believe I missed the first drawing of the seal! Stay put, ANBU-san, I'll come back in an hour."

Closing the door hurriedly but silently, she ran up the hallway, leaving a nonplussed ANBU operative alone in his hospital bed.

Hidden by the mask, Uchiha Itachi allowed himself a raise of his brows and a deep sigh of relief, his mind already processing the rather odd behavior of the female that had all but challenged him in the forest without even knowing who he was.

_How interesting_, he mused inwardly, closing his Sharingan eyes in a silent respite.

-XxX-

Much love for Sometime.Usagi for her awesome beta!


	2. Cover Me

**Chapter 2: Cover Me  
**

-X-

_The sealing process __is draining for any medic_, Sakura noted absently as she walked back to the ANBU's assigned room. The good thing was that Shizune seemed to have everything under control, most surely because she took Tsunade's silent support as she stood next to Sakura, observing the procedure.

Yawning again, she stopped in front of a window. The night was clear and the stars glittered quite noticeably. _A lovely sight_, she mused. Too bad that almost all the people of Konoha didn't appreciate the beauty that nature offered.

Her thoughts were dwelling on Sasuke's scornful words. It was true that she pined for him for too long, but certainly she had grown under Tsunade's guidance. Her lips curved with fondness when she remembered how she had stormed inside the Hokage's office, all but demanding – she thought she was begging, but the blonde had assured her that her eyes said another thing from the fierce determination that shone in them – for the blonde to teach her. Sakura remembered how strict the training with the Slug Princess had been, doubting that any of her teammates would have endured it. Naruto probably would have thrown a fit from frustration at his inability to punch the busty female back – he was all but too afraid of her insane strength, but also because he said he couldn't hit a woman – and Sasuke had also been quite intimidated with the Godaime's display of massive destruction with just one of her fingers.

And now Sakura, sweet and weak Haruno Sakura, who liked to wash her teammates with tears, had the same strong feature. Tsunade had teased about how her chakra control could be regarded as a bloodline trait, despite of how the clans were adamant in not recognizing the very few that had this excellent control over their energy.

No matter how much it had hurt – because the truth had the ability to cut ruthlessly when it was said with harsh words – Sasuke's words had jolted a nerve inside the pink-haired kunoichi. Tsunade's lessons were of utmost importance to Sakura's self-esteem, because the blonde just knew how much she hurt seeing her teammates advancing in their careers in jumps and leaps and bounds, leaving her behind, as usual.

Kakashi had to make the mistake of neglecting her; he understood that when he was told about Sakura's apprenticeship with no other than their powerful Hokage. He knew that she had the potential to be one of the greatest kunoichi of the village, yet he had chosen to take Sasuke under his wing, teaching him a few things that even his family had no idea how to perform. The Chidori was proof enough of this, since the seasoned Jounin had seen how ignored and undermined the younger son of the Clan Head was.

Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, had taken upon himself the mentorship of the loudmouthed blond, shaping him just like his father when he lived. Naruto had grown incredibly, showing how much he mastered his skills and those from his father's creation, including the power that was lurking inside his body under that swirled seal.

In the shadow of those genii in their own field, Sakura had found herself lost and forgotten, always being the last in their tacit but fierce race to surpass the others.

Sakura sighed, moving away from the window. Maybe the last criticism from Sasuke would prove useful, despite how awful it felt for her. She realized how silly she had been by pursuing someone who simply didn't want her back. It dealt a severe blow to her femininity, but she refused to feel the biting rejection.

Knocking on her patient's door, she entered without his permission. The masked ANBU sat still on the bed, with his legs hanging from it. It looked like he was about to rise from the bed.

"Sorry I'm late, ANBU-san," she said absently, extending her hands on his bandaged torso. "The procedure took a little longer than expected. Your lung is healing nicely, but it's still sore. Refrain for taijutsu training for a week and it will be restored completely."

"What about my ribs?"

Sakura blinked, looking up at the white rodent mask. A strong aura filled her senses, making her realize that this ANBU was not a regular one. A hard frown curved her lips downward unconsciously.

"The ribs are perfectly healed," she deadpanned. "My chakra repaired them when I examined you a while ago."

"Good," his voice filtered through his mask, cold and detached but well-mannered nonetheless. "Shall I come back for another check-up?"

"That won't be necessary, ANBU-san, I have the feeling you won't be happy if you have to come back," she answered, withdrawing her hands and warm chakra from his body and turned to grab his chart, scribbling something on it. "You are free to go, ANBU-san. Remember not to overdo it or your lung will be re-injured. Have a good night."

"Thank you, Haruno-san," he said politely, snapping her attention. Locking her gaze with the impassive mask, she nodded as he descended from the bed, pulling his sandals on.

"No need. We are here to help, after all."

As she went to the door, she felt the sharp gaze of the White Op on her back.

She gritted her teeth in annoyance, closing the door softly.

-X-

All in all, she didn't know why the ANBU operatives were so dislikeable to her, Sakura mused three days later at noon, when she noted three brown-cloaked figures jumping over the rooftops of Konoha.

She sighed, recalling how callous that ANBU Captain had been when she pleaded for his squad to come back to the village. It seemed that all the White Ops were a bunch of cold-hearted bastards, she concluded, knowing why she was so nervous about Naruto and Sasuke entering the Assassination Corps. Mostly she feared for Naruto, because his usual bright and loud personality was going to be crushed by all that hard-ass training.

Bowing in thanks to the fruit vendor, she made her way through the bustling market square, waving to people she knew from missions, a few medic colleagues and some of her patients, who greeted her fondly. True, she had been busy with field missions and a few night shifts at the hospital, but the now restored people remembered her cheerful bedside manner and how thorough she had been in nursing them back to full health.

"Haruno-san!" called out a lady she knew because of her son, because the little one kept messing with his Academy training, but nothing more serious than scraped knees or a few nicks from shuriken and stray kunai.

Waving back at the lady, she turned her head just in time to collide with a hard form, sending her fruit flying all over the ground and her landing on her rump painfully.

"Ouch..." she groused, rubbing her sore spot before opening her eyes and looking at the wall she had bumped.

Instead of a wall, a tall man with raven hair was staring back at her with a sheepish smirk. He was dressed in black pants and a dark shirt with a wide collar, a hand on his knee while the other was splayed, its palm up, at her.

"I apologize, I was not looking where I was going," he said hastily, blinking his midnight black eyes and taking in all the fruity mess he had provoked. "Here, let me help you," he added, picking the peaches and apples delicately from the dirt and placing them back in the bag in a few seconds. "Are you okay, Haruno-san?"

She was surprised at the effectiveness of his fruit gathering, but she gaped when the tall man addressed her with her surname.

"How do you know my name?" she blurted out, watching the man leaning back on her and offering her his hand. She hesitated for a moment, but seeing how he had picked up all her purchases she took it, allowing him to pull her up to her feet.

"You are well known, Haruno-san," he said with a hint of amusement under his serious tone as he handed her fruit bag back. "Please forgive me for my clumsiness," he continued, bowing at her slightly.

Finally, taking the style of his clothes and the dark eyes and hair in, Sakura realized who she was talking to. One of the Uchiha clansmen, a relative of Sasuke. This was weird, because the entire village knew that the Clan liked to keep to themselves, hardly leaving their vast District because they had most of supplies and provisions granted by their own crops and livestock.

"No problem," she eventually answered politely, with a little fake smile. "I wasn't looking either. And the fruit is fine, so no harm done, Uchiha-san."

"I trust you are not hurt, Haruno-san? The impact was rather harsh, I believe, for I was almost down on the floor myself."

Furrowing her fine brows for a moment, she realized what he was hinting at. "Oh, yes. I'm fine, Uchiha-san."

"_Yokatta_," he said in relief, displaying a great change in his features by smiling at her. Sakura was shocked at how different he looked when he smiled despite how little the gesture was, so she blinked to get a grip on the rampage going on inside her mind thanks to a lunatic and hormone-crazed inner personality.

"Thank you for gathering my fruit," she said, not being able to slip a smile of her own on her lips. He nodded, making his short dark locks – pulled into a little ponytail – fly with the motion.

"There is no need to thank me, Haruno-san," he replied with a glint of humor in his tone. "Now I owe you two."

"Eh?"

"I am Uchiha Shisui," he introduced himself, smirking again good-naturedly. "Nice to meet you—oh, here it is. I thought I had lost it."

Bending to pick up a little parcel, he blew on it to disperse any trace of dirt in the little white box. "Medicines, why are they so delicate?" he added with a fake dejected tone, which made Sakura hide a laugh behind a hand.

"Because they hold health on their little bottles... or pills, whatever the case is," she shot back amusedly. He raised a hand to his nape and laughed lightly, seemingly embarrassed when he realized he was talking about medicines to a medic.

"Well, these are pills indeed," he confided, lowering his voice. "They are for my cousin, whohas been suffering with migraines for quite a while now. He refuses to go to the hospital, so I'm stuck with his little display of stubbornness."

"I'm not surprised," she observed with a raised brow. "Most of the people I know refuse to go to the hospital, even if they're bleeding to death," she added, noticing the hitai-ate on Shisui's forehead. "So I get a few migraines myself for treating my patients in any location, because they won't budge despite how much I argue with them."

"Sounds like my predicament, indeed," he said with a pained expression, eliciting a laugh from the pink-haired medic. "I think I'll snoop half of these for myself, if this situation keeps on."

"And why don't you force your cousin to go to the hospital? You're a shinobi, Uchiha-san. Even if he's a ninja he should listen to you."

Shisui snorted, much to Sakura's surprise. "Forcing him to go somewhere would be like asking Yondaime-sama's stone head to dance the Matsuri," he said with a devious smirk. "Besides, I'm too fond of my unscathed state, mind you."

"Oh come on, Uchiha-san, it shouldn't be that bad," she laughed, shifting her bag from hand to hand. "What about the Clan's medics? I've been told that they're quite skilled."

"They are, yes," he said, the humor in his seemingly blank façade seeping through his voice as he looked up to the Hokage Monument thoughtfully. "However, they haven't been able to locate the reason of my poor cousin's headaches, much to their complete frustration."

"They haven't?" Sakura repeated, blinking in surprise, leaning back when he turned to look at her with wide eyes.

"Can I owe you another thing, Haruno-san, if you agree to help us with this predicament?" he said, as she started. "I'm sure you can alleviate his migraines – and mine – with a quick examination."

Sakura seemed shocked with the unexpected petition. "Err... I don't do house calls, Uchiha-san--"

"Please, Haruno-san, I humbly request this of you," he bowed again, a little more deeply than his last. "My family would be deeply grateful for your assistance in this matter."

She sighed, hanging her head in defeat. "...Fine, Uchiha-san. Tell your cousin to go to my office tomorrow and I'll check him up. I have the day off today, and--"

"You have the day off? Most excellent!" he exclaimed, changing his features again with a surprised smile that threw her off balance. "Haruno-san, please come with me now. I beg for your assistance in this very moment. My cousin had been suffering this pain for far too long, and to tell you the truth my patience is wearing thin."

She tried to hide her laugh, but Shisui's anxious face was too comical for her.

"So he's being a pain, huh? I wonder if your cousin is one of my teammates," she said sarcastically.

"I wouldn't know, Haruno-san, we Uchiha are quite the lot."

Both laughed at his unexpected remark. Sakura had to lean over to hide her mirth, her face flushing with the humor that coursed through her.

"Oh, fine, Uchiha-san, you win," she gasped, trying to regain her composure. "To tell you the truth, you are the first of your Clan that had been friendly to me, so I'll consent to your wish. But, you will do something for me in return, okay?"

"I am most grateful, Haruno-san! You just name it and I'll grant your request."

"Sa-ku-ra," she said playfully, enunciating all the syllables of her name. "My name is Sakura, Uchiha-san."

He nodded, smiling pleasantly. "Very well, Sakura-san. But you must address me by my name as well."

"Deal," she laughed as he extended a hand towards the street, falling into step beside her. "So your cousin has severe migraines?" she asked, entering into medic mode. "When did they start? How long they last? Had he been under stress lately?"

"A long time, I wouldn't know and yes, always," Shisui shot back, slipping his hands on his pants pockets, walking slowly but with long strides. "He's a very accomplished ninja, you see. His skills are quite in demand by our village's customers."

Sakura pursed her lips. "I know the type," she mused aloud. "My Team Leader is quite famous because of his abilities as well."

"Who is your Team Leader?" he asked curiously. She sighed again, exasperated.

"He's a good-for-nothing pervert, but he's one of Konoha's main assets. He's also known by his penchant of walking with his nose buried in a book and his tardiness..."

"Hatake Kakashi?"

Her laugh served as an affirmation, as she transferred her bag to the other hand.

"Yeah, he's my Team Leader and former sensei. And he's also my main migraine inducer as he runs away from the hospital when the opportunity is at hand."

"My father was like that until he met my mother," Shisui said. "She knocked him out and dragged him back to the hospital once, and apparently this was the reason he chose to marry her."

Sakura let out an unladylike snort. "A lovely woman indeed! I'd shake her hand if I meet her. We need more medics like her, that's for sure!"

"They passed away, but they lived a great life together," he said with a pensive but fond smile. "I'm proud of being their son. I can only hope they're in a better place now."

"I'm sorry, Shisui-san," Sakura offered, touched by his wistful remembrance. He nodded in thanks, as they walked in a comfortable silence.

After a while, she was the one who spoke. "I lost my parents too. And illness took them away from me. But somehow I know they are fine now."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Sakura-san," he said politely, and she smiled appreciatively. "Oh, we are here. Welcome to the Uchiha District," he added, waving a hand to the sentinel who nodded back.

Sakura stood speechless. She had passed near the walls of the District, but she had never entered it. When Sasuke was needed for a mission or for training, it was Naruto or Kakashi who went to contact him. On one occasion, the three of them stood in front of the Uchiha gates, but they had been denied entrance, one of the sentinels going to retrieve their teammate for an emergency mission in the middle of the night.

Sasuke had emerged from the District, looking a bit drowsy but downright disgruntled. However, he went with them, recovering the scroll and pulling a great battle with the enemy shinobi that had stole it in the first place.

On that mission, Sakura only treated her teammates, once again watching them from the sidelines as they did all the work.

And after they came back to the village, Sasuke turned her down, as usual.

Sakura gritted her teeth in annoyance at herself. How stupid she had been. She had the massive strength from her mentor and yet again she had been protected by her teammates, leaving her behind. She had impressive chakra control and yet she had been underestimated because of her gender and soft personality.

Well, fuck that. She was going to show how much fire she had in her spirit from now on.

"Sakura-san?"

A deep voice broke her from her reverie. Snapping her head, she looked at her guide.

"You looked a bit upset for a moment. Are you alright?" Shisui asked, his eyes showing his concern for a moment. Sakura shook her head, offering him a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, I was remembering something."

"I see," he answered, as he pointed at a building they were passing. "Our shrine," he explained. "Our Clan is devoted to the Gods, making offerings to ensure a good return of our people from their daily tasks or missions."

"Interesting," she murmured, feeling a lot like a fish out of the water. The shrine was impeccable, with dark blue and red flags hanging on its entrance. An old lady was sweeping the stone front yard, with the traditional sweep made of bamboo, while a young man ran on the engawa, a rag on his hands, cleaning it in its proper but surely uncomfortable manner.

Sakura then took the time to look around her. Several people was minding their own business, tending to their task as if no one was observing them. A man was sharpening a kunai with a stone, his eyes closed as he went through the practiced and repetitive motions. A young girl was mending the hood of a black cloak, humming softly to herself as the needle came and went. An old lady waved at Shisui, nodding in greeting at the pink-haired medic as her wrinkled hands never stopped their movements in the refining of the flour on a well-used stone mill.

"Almost there," he said lightly, keeping his guest entertained by pointing at several interesting things to see on their walk to his cousin. "I'm certain that he won't like my intruding in his affairs, but I'm past caring if he's offended, to be honest."

"Sounds about right," she answered with a little smile. "Are you sure you don't know Sasuke-kun?"

"Sasuke?" he repeated, tilting his head in thought. "I think so. We're too many to keep count, you know."

Somehow she knew he was blatantly lying, but she didn't care. Shisui was about the only Uchiha she had met that hadn't treated her like a peasant or a doormat. Even Sasuke had so much arrogance in his way to carry himself; she had only concluded that all the Uchiha clan was a lot of arrogant and holier-than-thou bastards.

But now she was walking among Uchiha with the most kind Uchiha she had ever known. Surely the world was coming to an end, Sakura thought with dry amusement.

"Ah, here we are," he finally said, stopping in front of a house that was surely bigger than others they had encountered in their way. "Shall we?"

She only nodded, busy as she was with all the observing. "What a beautiful house," she murmured in awe. A sturdy, traditional manor with a large engawa and white shoji doors, but the walls were painted in sandy yellow and dark blue with the Uchiha fan crest from time to time. Seeing the crest repeatedly since she had entered the District in different ways and profuse blazoned signs – not that they were proud of their roots, _of course not _– the way the emblem played with the decoration colors was rather sober but elegant, in her secret opinion.

Sakura absentmindedly heard Shisui talking to the maid that had emerged from the manor, asking for his cousin in a low whisper. The woman bowed deeply – a sign of how well-bred the seasoned woman was – to him and then to her, to Sakura's inward surprise.

Following the maid to the garden in the back of the house, she took the time to observe how pristine clean was everything. Pictures, scrolls and portraits littered the walls--

She stopped abruptly when her eyes fixed on a large family photo. A woman with warm eyes and equal smile was sitting on a chair, with a man with a stern façade and three younglings: two boys of apparently twelve years old at the most, smiling briefly at the camera from the woman's sides while the other child was soundly asleep in his mother's arms.

She could recognize that spiky hair anywhere. The slumbering child was Sasuke.

Trailing her gaze to Shisui, she was regarded with a sheepish smile and a hand on his neck, clearly embarrassed and a tad uncomfortable.

Looking back at the picture, she could recognize one of the youngsters as Shisui, and the other one was--

"Shisui, what brings you here?" a blank voice sounded from the garden door. Snapping her head at the newcomer, her eyes went wide when she realized who the other boy in the picture was.

No other than Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother.

"Ah, Itachi! I was in the market when I ran into Haruno-san... and I asked her to come here to look at your migraines, since you seem to be quite in pain."

The vacant look on the tall, raven-haired man was none akin to a pained one, she thought as he slid his gaze to hers, promptly narrowing his eyes slightly when he saw her standing next to the family portrait.

"I believe I only asked you to pick up the pills, Shisui," he finally said in a detached tone. "Not to trick a medic to come here to look at my head."

Emerald eyes narrowed in anger, snapping to the other Uchiha, who was sporting a comical look of fear on his face.

"I can't believe it," a low feminine voice cut off Shisui's attempt to explain. "And here I thought you were the only kind Uchiha. You tricked me! You, you--"

"I'm so sorry, Sakura-san!" he quickly blurted out, bowing deeply at her. "I knew you weren't going to come if you knew who my cousin was, and I knew Itachi wouldn't approve of me bringing another medic here. I'm a ninja, and ninja tricks others, am I right?"

Sakura's palm met her forehead in frustration. "Of course I would have come!" she snapped at the surprised but cowering man. "You requested a medic and here I am! I'll settle my score with you later, because this house is way too beautiful to rattle if I punch your body through its walls."

Shisui winced visibly, his face lowered in shame. "I apologize, Sakura-san, I only did what I judged appropriate for my cousin's wellbeing."

"I did not need your meddling, Shisui," the other Uchiha deadpanned, crossing his arms on his chest in a rather intimidating manner.

"Oh, bullshit, Itachi!" the other snapped, surprising the medic as he straightened. He was taller than Sasuke's aniki, his body a bit more sturdy and broad than Itachi's lean and slender form. "I've had enough of your brooding and your migraines! I tricked Sakura-san because you have been nothing but a pain in these past months! You will allow her to check up on you or I'm filing a squad change request tomorrow!"

A tense silence ensued after Shisui's outburst. Distinctive chakra signatures rolled out from their forms, making Sakura's impeccable but slow memory to remember where she had encountered them.

Both Uchiha turned their heads to a low growl coming from the livid pink-haired kunoichi, who was clenching her fists in order to control her anger, her mind suddenly realizing why Shisui was referring to 'owing her one'. "You-- you are the ANBU Captain-- And you are the other one what thanked me in the forest--"

Shisui blanched, astounded at her blunt but spot on conclusion. "Sakura-san, I--"

She whipped a hand up to shut him up. "I came here and I met none other than the Uchiha Heir and now I realize who you really are," she hissed, grinding her teeth. "I would have forgiven a trick, but not a lie. I'm out of here."

"Sakura-san, please understand--"

"No, I won't understand!" she finally exclaimed, allowing her rage to seep on her aura. "You lied to me! And you!" she pointed at a poker-faced Itachi. "You got me in trouble with Tsunade-shishou! I knew you weren't going back to the village like I told you to, but you forced my Team Leader to snitch on me!"

"I merely provided him with the regular procedures," he answered smoothly, not even paying attention to her angry splutter. "You defied me in front of my teammates. I was not about to let it go. Besides, if I were the one telling to the Hokage about your display, I am sure you would be locked up in a cell right now."

Shisui watched nervously how Sakura's face went from flushed with rage to pale white. Her eyes were wide in surprise, but something in her stance told him she was on the verge of attacking.

"Itachi, what is done is done," he tried, but the younger Uchiha didn't pay any attention to his cousin. "I'll lead Sakura-san back to the gates--"

"She is not going anywhere."

Sakura froze in her anger.

"What?" Shisui asked, clearly confused by this unexpected turn of events.

"You tricked her into coming here. She came to heal a patient, so she won't leave until she does so. She can pummel you afterwards."

"Itachi, I don't think that's such a good--"

"I'll do it," Sakura cut the elder Uchiha off with her cold answer. She had seen the challenging glint in his dark eyes when she was about to maul him for his scathing remark, as if he was daring her to do it. Then she thought she saw a flash of amusement at her shock when he stopped his cousin from driving her away.

He was mocking her. He was nothing but amused at her fury.

And just like when the competition with her teammates starts to get a little brash, she allowed a smirk to curl minutely on her lips. Sakura wasn't about to back down from a challenge so easily, even if the proverbial gauntlet was laid by the one and only Uchiha Itachi.

"I'm sure you are in pain, Uchiha-san," she drawled detachedly. "I'm sure we can make you feel better."

Watching them stare at each other with narrowed eyes and dangerous intent on their auras, Shisui wisely kept his mouth shut, sighing to himself.

-XxX-

**AN:** I'm completely sure that Itachi is totally and utterly OOC, so there's no need to point that out. Just bear with me for a while, aye?  
Who else is surprised by Shisui's appearance? My dear beta surely did a double-take, hahaha!  
BTW, _Yokatta_ means "That's good / I'm glad". Hooray for online dictionaries!


	3. It's Not Up To You

**Chapter ****3: It's Not Up to You**

-X-

_If he thinks I'm going to cower before him because he's ANBU, he's sorely mistaken,_ Sakura thought fervently as Itachi pointed at a tatami mat, indicating for her to sit down. Shisui's countenance was nervous, not just because he had heard of Sakura's legendary short fuse but also because of Itachi's sudden and suspicious changes of mind.

One thing was clear: He didn't know who was going to play their cards first. And it would be better for him if he wasn't around to see them explode, so he slipped slowly towards the door, hoping that his cousin wouldn't catch him.

Vain hopes. "You can go, Shisui," Itachi deadpanned as he made his way towards the mat. Sakura bristled when the Uchiha Heir lowered himself next to her, sitting at her side with a blank façade. "You can come back in one hour to lead Haruno-san outside the District's premises."

Maybe Shisui was older, but certainly he was not the stupidest. Praying for her not to attempt to throttle his cousin and for him not to slice her throat, he nodded numbly, exiting the living room and leaving them alone.

Turning his head slowly to the angry pink-haired medic, Itachi nodded. "You may begin."

Sakura's cheeks flushed in anger. "You can't tell me what to do! You know nothing about medical procedures!"

"I agree," he shot back smoothly. "That is why you need to begin at some point. My migraine is at its peak."

She scowled, raising her hand and placing to fingers none-too-gently over his temple. However, as soon as she molded some of her chakra inside his head, her face changed drastically.

Itachi's black eyes detailed the sudden alteration in her features, from incredibly angry to surprise, and then settling into intrigued concentration. Filing this interesting event away in his mind, he watched her close her eyes, feeling her energy prodding inside his head.

"Close your eyes," she said suddenly. "Your optic nerves are drawing too much energy."

"My Sharingan is not activated," he replied, but complying with her order.

"I know, but any shinobi can force a bit of chakra into their eyes," she explained in her best lecturing voice. "Only the ones with doujutsu can draw chakra naturally in order to activate their bloodline trait, but that doesn't mean that we mortals can't squint to try to see better at a far target."

He didn't respond to her sardonic statement, concentrating in what she was doing with her chakra. Her energy was strangely warm, and its greenish glow could be perceived by his senses, even with his eyes closed.

"You've been using your Sharingan too much," she diagnosed after a while. "The chakra overuse is debilitating your nerves. That's why you have been experiencing so many migraines..."

_She might be right_, he pondered absently, as her chakra surrounded the nerves and soothed them, the pain slowly ebbing away.

After a moment, she withdrew her fingers. "You can open your eyes."

He did so, reveling in the relief of having his eyes back to a normal state. Looking around the living room, he examined the colors of the adornments and pictures that littered the space, detailing them.

"How did you find the problem so quickly?" he asked smoothly, finally looking at Sakura, who was staring at his gaze with a critical eye. She sighed and stood up.

"After its use, your Sharingan must rest appropriately," she said, glancing at the family pictured that had given everything away and avoiding his question. Sasuke's baby form was incredibly cute, sleeping in his mother's arms. The other two handsome boys smirked at the camera, as if sharing a secret joke that only them knew about. "Otherwise it can damage the nerves. I don't know about the Sharingan's processes, but Kakashi-sensei seemed to have migraines all the time. I figured you had the same problem, but your optic nerves are less resented than his when I first examined them."

"I understand," he replied thoughtfully.

"Very well... now, can you tell me what did you do to Sasuke-kun for him to want to surpass you so much?"

His blank façade stared at her, making her eyebrows knit in annoyance.

"You heard me," Sakura said, pointing at the picture. "As his older brother you are supposed to look after him, not driving him to a mindless competition."

"What makes you think I am forcing him to do what he does?" he asked expressionlessly. "He is a shinobi. He does what he is ordered to do."

"How can you say that?" she asked incredulously. "Sasuke changed from a nice kid into a cold man, seemingly following your steps!"

"Sasuke is not following any of my steps," he replied curtly, crossing his arms on his chest but making no attempt to rise from his sitting position. "He's following a path that was devised by our Clan. He is the next Heir if I fail to fulfill that position," Itachi's eyes glinted with sarcasm, as his words were hard for him to believe. "But even now his actions are weak."

Sakura's eyes widened with disbelief. "What? _Weak_?" she repeated. "He'd graduated first in our class! He's a Jounin! How can you say he's weak? Sasuke is your brother!"

"And as my brother, I know his power," he countered impassively. "He is nowhere near to catch up with my standards or our Father's, much less our Clan's. Sasuke is weak even if he is a Jounin. He is not ANBU yet."

"You want him to become a killer?" she queried, as she couldn't believe her ears. "You want him to join ANBU?"

"That is Sasuke's decision. All of our cousins are in high-ranking positions, from ninja ranks to the police ranks. He is the only one with a simple Jounin status. And our Clan does not approve him... or his team."

And there's when Sakura's short fuse chose to manifest itself.

"You know what? You might be the Mighty-and-Powerful Uchiha Itachi," she said loudly, snatching her fruit bag from the tatami mat. "But you certainly don't understand how much Sasuke looks up to you. You don't care shit for your brother, and how stupid of you that is! He drives himself so hard, that you simply don't get how valuable he is, even if you, your Chichiue or your stupid Clan don't see it."

Itachi's silence and hard gaze made her scoff in frustration, crossing the fine line between resentment and recklessness.

"I can only hope he doesn't become an emotionless killing machine such as yourself!"

A blink of her eyes and she found herself pushed to the wall next to the family photo, her bag all but forgotten on the floor, as his black orbs glittered threateningly and his hand clasped her throat firmly but not harshly, even allowing her to gasp in surprise.

"I strongly advise you to think before speaking about matters you do not know about," he whispered, without taking his eyes from her.

"Why don't _you_ think before belittling your own brother?" she replied, seeing how his dark orbs narrowed dangerously. She was scared of him, he could see that perfectly. His dark, cold aura was enough for everyone to retreat from his mere presence. But her eyes, despite betraying her fear, also showed a great deal of anger... and something Itachi had not seen directed at him in the gaze of coworkers, partners or his family.

"Do not make me repeat myself, Haruno-san," he murmured smoothly, closing his hold on her throat a little bit as his other maintained her body against the wall next to the picture that occasioned this entire conflictive situation. "Sasuke's position within his family is not of your concern."

"It _is_ my concern because you don't act as family, we are more his siblings than you!" she choked.

"You must have a death wish, Haruno-san," he said in a mocking whisper, but retreated quickly when he felt her chakra gathering in her hands.

"And you must have a stone for a heart," she whispered, coughing to regain her breath, rushing out of the house but not before gazing at him.

His Sharingan was activated in his annoyance at the kunoichi, and his crimson eyes detailing explicitly the significance of her glance. He had seen _pity_, of all things, in her eyes. He had seen worry for his little brother and disappointment for him.

Deactivating his bloodline trait, Itachi breathed deeply, taking in the scents of the apples and peaches forgotten by their owner.

-X-

It took a long while for her to calm herself, but surprisingly just a little to flee the Uchiha District, without waiting for her escort.

_How dare he behave like that?_ she raged internally, as she dashed towards the location where she was about to encounter her shishou. Three days had passed since her epic clash with the Uchiha Heir, and she was nowhere near pleased with the outcome of those events.

Growling low in annoyance and fury at the memory of those dark eyes, gleaming with sarcastic amusement and mockery, she entered the clearing, noticing that the Godaime Hokage was already there, waiting for her.

"You look like hell," she saluted bluntly, taking in Sakura's scowl and risen hackles. The pink-haired medic didn't answer, but Tsunade's sharp gaze noted the tensing in her chin. "What happened?"

Sakura looked to her feet, still unable to respond. Letting out a sigh, the blonde Hokage nodded and clasped her hands.

"Alright, you don't have to tell me anything. But let's blow off some steam, shall we?"

Lifting her emerald eyes to those amber orbs of her mentor's, Sakura nodded, pulling on her gloves and slipping on her regular stance, grateful that Tsunade hadn't pressed her to spill the humiliation she felt since she set foot on the Uchiha manor.

Several hours later and the complete obliteration of the clearing, she had calmed enough to entrust her master with the entire story. Tsunade's eyes blinked in astonishment, and then a gleeful laughter filled the site.

"I can't believe your nerve, Sakura!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms in an attempt to get a grip on her mirth. "You went too far! You should be thankful that he didn't cut your throat in retaliation!"

"Shishou!" Sakura groaned, burying her face in her gloved hands, feeling Tsunade's reassuring presence next to her. A pat on her shoulder and the laughter gone, another sigh was heard from the busty blonde's lips.

"Sakura, the Uchiha Clan is a family that isn't to be trifled with," she said, as both made her way around the holes and craters that littered on the clearing. "They and the Hyuuga are like the sun and the moon, very different and opposite. While the Hyuuga accept my decisions as Hokage albeit grudgingly so, most of the Uchiha like to argue with me about my quirks and judgments. The Clan Head is nothing but an uptight bastard, and I believe that the fruit never falls too far from the tree."

"Are you saying that Sasuke--" she caught her tongue at the habit of placing the endearment in the younger Uchiha's name. "Are you saying that Sasuke is following his father's steps?"

"Nah, not likely," Tsunade answered seriously. "And neither Itachi, actually. Fugaku thinks I'm not suited to be Hokage, despite being in this position for more than seven years. He's still resentful because the Elders chose me instead of his son Itachi to lead the village. It's not my fault that the Council Elders judged him too young."

Sakura's eyes went wide and her feet stopped. "What?!"

"Yeah, but I'm not worried about it because Itachi made clear he doesn't want the position," Tsunade waved a dismissing hand. "He just wants to remain in his rank. He knows I'm more suited for this than him, despite what the Uchiha Elders say about this. Although for a while I thought that he weaseled out the whole situation because of the insane amounts of paperwork that this job ensues."

Two feminine chortles signaled their arrival to the eastern village gates, where Izumo and Kotetsu were expecting their Hokage with a bunch of papers and scrolls for her to sign.

"See? It never stops," Tsunade observed with an exaggerated sigh, as Sakura laughed behind her hand. "Tomorrow at the hospital, Sakura," she added, placing her stern mask on her lovely face again, the relaxing moment between teacher and student finished. "Shizune will teach you a medical ninjutsu she'd been developing."

"Hai, Tsunade-shishou," she said, bowing respectfully. "Tomorrow morning it is!"

A distracted wave was her goodbye as the Godaime was almost drowned among her assistants' chatter. Sakura breathed deeply, pulling off her gloves and stretching her arms as if she was trying to reach the sky.

With her spirit finally at peace thanks to the moments spent with her mentor, she retied her hitai-ate after a hurried combing of her tresses with her fingers, while she wondered where Naruto was and if he was free in order to get some lunch with him.

It was a reassuring thing that Tsunade had relayed those little facts to her. She still hated Itachi, no matter how high Sasuke had placed his sporadic teachings to his little brother. Well, it wasn't as she _hated_ the man's guts, but certainly she was really irked by Sasuke's situation within his family.

And then there was Shisui's little deceit. He was one of the very few Uchiha she had met, and she really thought him to be kind and nice. Sasuke was cold and distant; a very accurate resemblance to his older brother's way to conduct himself. Shisui was funny and pleasant, so unlike those Uchiha she had encountered in the hospital or on missions.

If on cue, a person she didn't expect to see so soon approached her.

"Sakura-san!" he exclaimed, calling for her attention. Turning around, she saw Uchiha Shisui hurrying to catch up with her. She whirled again and began stomping her way to the market. "Wait, Sakura-san!"

She turned again, scowling something fierce at the raven-haired man that had ran to meet her. "What?" she growled. "I don't have anything to say to you or your cousin."

Shisui hastily lifted his hands in a placating gesture. "Sakura-san, I have come to ask for your forgiveness," he said hurriedly. "I have wronged you, and I humbly ask for your mercy."

In a quick moment, Sakura's eyes flashed in anger. "Is this some kind of sick joke that you and your-your--cousin had devised to mock me?" she asked. "I don't want to have anything to do with the likes of you both!"

Shisui's dark orbs widened in surprise, realizing what she had concluded from his words. "Oh, no, Sakura-san! I have come on my own volition, I promise you! I felt bad for leaving you with Itachi, really! And then he was very upset for something you told him... but I told him that it served him right for offending you!"

The rushed explanation seemed to get to Sakura, deflating her anger somewhat.

"What are you doing then?" she asked, eyebrows still furrowed. "Do you want me to forgive you for having a bastard for a cousin?"

"Well... yeah," he said sincerely, his face suddenly sheepish. "I never meant to trick you, you see. When you noticed the photograph I was about to tell you that I did know Sasuke-chan, but then Itachi entered the living and messed up my whole plan."

A pink brow rose in disbelief. "Sasuke-chan?"

"I always call him like that because he gets mad every single time," he offered, scratching his head and laughing nervously. "Sakura-san, I'm truly sorry for what had happened because of me. I have come looking for you; Kotetsu-kun told me you were sparring with the Hokage, so..."

"Wait, you went to the Hokage Tower?" she asked skeptically. "Looking for me?"

"Hai," he nodded. "When Itachi told me you had healed his migraine I felt really bad for how I tricked you. Then he refused to tell me why you had left in so much haste, so I figured you had a disagreement."

She snorted, surprising the Uchiha. "Disagreement is a pretty mild word, Shisui-san," Sakura said with a dry smirk, rubbing her neck unconsciously. "But, why did you go to the Hokage Tower?"

Her evasive maneuver and her gesture weren't lost on the observant ninja. "I was told you worked with Tsunade-sama when you aren't on the mission roster, but I did not find you there, and Shizune-san was not there either."

"She's at the hospital," she replied absently. "And you went all the way there just to apologize?"

"Well..." he started to nod, then he looked away in embarrassment. "Yes, but also to return you these," he unhooked a bag of fruits from his belt. "I bought you a new bag, I hope you don't mind."

She seemed surprised, but then she let out a laugh. "A peace offering, Shisui-san? Fine, you win. You are a nice man, even if your relatives aren't."

"Actually... I was hoping for something else, you know," he said cheekily. "I also was told about your amazing chakra control and strength, so... how about a spar?"

Sakura blinked. "You want to spar with me?" she repeated skeptically. This was a surprise, for not even Sasuke wanted to spar with his teammate, as he deemed her weak and predictable, not realizing that she just couldn't spar with him because of his scathing remarks.

He nodded with a grin. "One of my colleagues told me you were incredibly strong, so I wanted to see that for myself."

"Your own cousin doesn't like to train with me," she replied, crossing her arms. "Why would you?"

"Let's say that I would like to see how the training with Hokage-sama pays off," he said lightly, offering her a smirk.

Her emerald eyes flashed, narrowing challengingly.

"You're on, Shisui-san," she answered with a deceptively sweet smile. "Let's meet here at the end of the afternoon, shall we?"

"Very well," he said, matching her grin with one of his own and handed her the bag, waving as he retreated down the street.

Sakura sighed deeply, her brows drawing together as she walked back to her apartment. A hot meal and a nap would get her chakra reserves back into full level, and then...

_Shannaro_, she smirked.

-X-

Shisui was there when she arrived, leaning on a tree trunk.

"I was told that you are familiar with the Sharingan," he said by way of greeting. She pursed her lips in a mocking grin.

"Wouldn't you like to know," she said pulling her gloves on as they walked to the obliterated clearing she used in the morning with her shishou.

"Having Hatake Kakashi as your sensei surely would have taught you a thing or two," he prodded lightly, changing his entire façade by smiling mischievously.

"Maybe," she teased, as she watched him survey the area. She could tell he was amazed at the path of destruction that was blatantly displayed in the clearing, but his face didn't change from the nice smile he had on.

"I see Tsunade-sama was kind of pushy with you this morning," he offered, scratching his head. Sakura shrugged and surrounded a crater with a critical eye.

"Let's say she is one of the most enthusiastic sensei I've ever had," she replied noncommittally. "Ready?"

Shisui smirked, shaking his head in amusement, but when he raised his eyes again she encountered the reddish glow of the Sharingan. "When you are, Sakura-san."

She nodded, narrowing her eyes and raising her fists into her regular taijutsu stance. Without waiting for her to complete the stance, he flew at her, slipping a kunai into each hand and slashing towards her. She dodged and somersaulted back, releasing two shuriken in her jump. They started to run around the clearing, as he kept on throwing a barrage of weapons at her, mainly senbons and kunai. She dodged them expertly, displaying a repertoire of avoiding moves that were her pride and joy as a medical ninja.

"Oh come on, Sakura-san!" he exclaimed. "Are you going to run forever?"

"As the matter of fact," she shot back as she fell from a leap and clenched her fist. "NO!"

Her fist impacted the ground, raising it with a wave of dirt and power that made the Uchiha stumble in his running, almost diving face first into the crater that she made. Flipping back, he turned his head from side to side, looking for his opponent and finding anything.

When his feet touched the ground, a hand shot out of it and grabbed his ankle, but he managed to slip out of its grasp and leap onto a tree.

"Sakura-san, you're being awfully sneaky," he said seriously, surveying the area from his vantage point. "Whatever happened with a straight spar?"

"I say you're being incredibly whiny, Shisui-san," her voice whispered in his ear, startling him. An eerie wind blew through his bangs, making him understand that he had been caught in a genjutsu.

"Kai!" he shouted, dispelling the illusion with the proper hand seal. He looked to his left and right, not finding any trace of his pink-haired combatant. Only when he trailed his eyes on the ground, looking for a trace of her chakra signature, he noticed a faint shadow growing on his.

Shisui barely had the chance of jump away when Sakura dived down and smashed her fist on the ground again, shattering the earth with noisy cracks and an explosion sound that made the hairs at the back of his neck prickle in high alert. He hadn't see anything like that, for he had never seen the Hokage's moves either.

She leapt on the edge of a rock. "Come on! Are you afraid of this, Shisui-san? I thought the Uchiha didn't fear anything!"

"Damn right we don't!" he shot back at her taunts with a scowl, flying at her while making some seals she didn't recognize. Only when he took a deep breath her eyes widened in surprise.

"Shit!"

"_Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!_" he yelled, launching the fireballs at top speed at the kunoichi, who didn't think twice into retaliation. Picking up a boulder, she used it as a shield against the flames and after she kicked it towards Shisui, who jumped away from it.

"Let's dance, Uchiha!" she screamed, punching the ground several times, which started to shake in earnest under his feet and shaking off many trees. He had to jump repeatedly to avoid falling into the shockwave of the earthquake formed by her fists, but a spike that suddenly shot upwards got him, throwing him off balance.

"Hah!" Sakura scoffed fiercely, flying at him and managing to hit him at last with a roundhouse kick and making his body soar into a tree trunk that all but exploded with the violent impact.

"Fuck," he groaned in pain, only to be rewarded with a gleeful laugh.

"See, Shisui-san, the field was my doing as well," Sakura teased with a sweet smile, landing next to him. "To be honest, I did the whole thing because Tsunade-shishou wanted me to vent a little."

"_A_ _little_? Kami, you're a vicious opponent, Sakura-san," he observed, snapping his eyes at her when she kneeled, a green glow bathing her hands.

"I think I'm mellower than many shinobi I know," she answered with ease. "Even all my teammates are quite wild--oh damn, your leg is broken."

"Shit," he cursed softly. "I'm so going to be told off by my superior."

"Serves you right for challenge me," she said sarcastically. "Send your superior to me and I'll handle him, I think you'll have to lie down for three days at least. I shattered your tibia rather nicely."

"_Nicely_?" he repeated incredulously. Sakura snorted.

"Yes, the shards of bone didn't puncture any artery. Now, shut up for a moment, please. I'm trying to seal it back together."

Shisui complied, while his eyes wandered over the wreck she made in the clearing in order to gain an upper hand on him. Trees were down for the count, the ground looked as if it suffered from a tectonic shift, leaves were scattered everywhere, as well as branches and general loose dirt.

"You won," he conceded softly. "When did you perform that genjutsu?"

"When I was underground," she said with her eyes closed. "It was the only way to keep my technique from being copied with those blasted eyes of yours."

Shisui laughed out loud. It was a simple but completely effective way to keep the originality of that simple illusion, one so subtle than he didn't even notice when he fell under it.

"It was a neat technique," he commented. She smiled, numbing his leg in order to shoot a surge of chakra to reunite and remold his bone.

"Kakashi-sensei is the only one that copied it, because I used it in an open battle," she relayed truthfully. "I was so mad, because I had developed that jutsu on my own."

"You can't blame a Sharingan user to copy everything, you know," he teased her, earning himself a swat in his arm. "Ouch, Sakura-san, you're quite aggressive."

"Live for a while with my teammates and you'll see real violence, Shisui-san," she replied with a laugh. "Sit down for a moment, I need to see if I pulled a muscle."

Shisui hissed in mild pain. "What did you do?"

"That is exactly what I want to know."

Both contenders turned their heads at the steely, cold voice that resounded on the clearing. Sakura's eyebrows knitted together when she saw who the newcomer was.

However, Shisui didn't appear surprised. "Did you enjoy the show?"

Itachi didn't answer his question, firing another one instead. "Do you think you'll be fit for a mission in two days?"

"No, he won't," Sakura's hard voice countered. "He will need another healing session to check if the bone is completely sealed."

"I am sure we can find another medic-nin to perform such session."

Sakura snorted at his outrageous remark. "It's not about the healing, Uchiha-san," she said, finally allowing her eyes to lock upon his cold glare. "It's his own system that needs to convert the energy into his own before attempting to prod his pathways again. Besides," she added, looking at Shisui and offering a little smirk, "I'm out of chakra. It will take a little while before I can check up on the healing, and it is well known that bone-setting injuries are better healed if only one chakra signature is the main actor on the wound."

"I'm sorry, Itachi," Shisui said, but his face didn't show any deject for his state. "Doctor's orders."

The Uchiha Heir narrowed his eyes at his cousin. "You are lucky that I won't report you to my Chichiue."

"Pfff, as if he's the Mighty ANBU Commander," Sakura muttered, standing up. "Say, Shisui-san, you think you can come over to my office tomorrow? I'll look at your leg there."

"Sure thing, Sakura-san," he said with a little, devious smile. "Don't forget your fruits."

"I think I'll make a peach cake... that, if Naruto doesn't get frisky and wants us to gather for ramen. See you, Shisui-san! Uchiha-san."

It took a lot of effort for the older Uchiha not to laugh at the pink-haired fast change of voice tones when regarding the two males. She had been warmly pleasant when she addressed him, but scathingly cold when she bid goodbye to Itachi.

Watching her retreating form, he shook his head, to look at his cousin. The younger Uchiha had his very own onyx-colored eyes set on the pink-haired kunoichi's back, his arms crossed and a mild frown on his face.

"So, about the mission," he said, snapping his cousin into attention. Itachi raised his shoulders for a moment.

"Code Blue in Sand," he responded. "I will handle it."

"Be careful, you oaf."

"Hn," Itachi grunted, walking away.

Shisui's features suddenly changed into surprise. "Oi! Itachi! Don't leave me here, you bastard!"

A little mocking chuckle was heard, and then nothing. Shisui sighed deeply, letting his head fall on his chest in defeat.

-XxX-

**AN:** The Sakura I'm portraying is a little bit spunkier and moodier than her canon character. Let's say that having a life full of belittlements and underestimating from her teammates made her behave so. Also, Shisui's personality is entirely of my own imagination. Being an Uchiha made him behave like an arrogant prick on some occasions, but I find quite endearing that he provides a little comic relief to Itachi's grim life. Also, Shisui being an ANBU Op along with his cousin is my own way to provide a little fanservice, so who's against that? xD  
Once again, much love to Sometime.Usagi for her lovely beta!


	4. It's Oh So Quiet

**Chapter 4: ****It's Oh So Quiet**

-X-

After a few days, Uchiha Shisui found himself back in top condition. Sakura had mended and set his leg quite well, allowing him to go back to his team and accomplish that mission his cousin had told him about. They came back unscathed thanks to Itachi's well-thought out strategies, but they made a stop in the hospital nonetheless in order to get clearance from the Head Medic for the Hokage to assign them another mission soon.

Unfortunately for them, as Shisui murmured to his cousin and sometimes best friend, Sakura wasn't around when they were there. It took a polite question from the older Uchiha to get an answer from the treating medic, which told them that Haruno-sama was away on a special mission.

Shisui had lifted a brow in surprise when he heard that honorific attached to Sakura's surname. At his side, Itachi had had the same reaction, although he didn't show it. Sensing a shift on his cousin's mood, Shisui wisely didn't comment on his curiosity.

To his obliviousness, Itachi's mind was already in the works.

-X-

Sakura was running towards the red bridge, munching the onigiri as she dashed through the bustling market. It was training day, and she was late.

"Damn!" she growled in frustration. If only she hadn't paid attention to Ino and went to bed early! But no, she just had to be convinced by the blonde to go to Tenten's house and have an impromptu sleep over party with all their kunoichi friends.

To be true, they had a good time talking and catching up. Hinata seemed livelier since Naruto had started to pay attention to her, just as Ino bragged about her new relationship with Chouji and Tenten seemed to glow under the happiness brought by her youthful significant other.

But then they asked the pink-haired medic about Sasuke and everything blew up. She had relayed their friends with his last blow off, so it was understandable that Ino and Tenten got furious at the younger Uchiha. She managed to calm them down enough to tell them what she had decided after Naruto's and Kakashi's reassurance.

"I am a Leaf kunoichi," she reminded them and herself. _I won't hold back anymore_.

The truth was that she was rather eager to show him what he was missing... but she stopped when an image of another member of the Uchiha family pushed over Sasuke's in her mind.

Sakura growled again, cleaning her mouth with a napkin that found its way into a trashcan as she leapt over it in her running towards her team.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted her enthusiastically. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Naruto! Good morning, Sasuke!" she exclaimed as she stopped, panting lightly. "Where's Kakashi-sensei?"

"Still not here," the blond grumbled, but his face lit like a sun when Sakura offered him an onigiri. "Thanks, Sakura-chan! How did you know I hadn't had breakfast yet?"

"Just a hunch," she replied with a smile. "I brought another one for you, Sasuke."

He merely crossed his arms. "I already ate," he deadpanned, but his eyes detailed how she shrugged and sat next to Naruto, sinking her teeth into said rice ball. The young Uchiha frowned inwardly at her sudden change of addressing him, but said nothing.

"Maa, Sakura-chan, that was delicious!" Naruto praised her as his tongue fished the loose rice grains on his face. "Can I have the bastard's too?"

"Sorry, I'm eating it," she said dryly. "And the other one is for Kakashi-sensei, so don't touch it."

"But I'm still hungry!" the blond whined. Sakura sighed, exasperated and divided the onigiri, stuffing half of it on Naruto's mouth.

"Here, now shut up for a while!"

The sunny head bobbed as he chewed enthusiastically. She finished her half and cleaned herself, letting out a contented sigh.

"I really hope we can get a mission soon, I'm getting bored," she commented, eliciting curious stares from both of her teammates. It was a change even Naruto noticed, because he knew how much she enjoyed working at the hospital.

"Really?" he asked. "I thought you had some training to do with Tsunade-baachan."

"We've already completed this month's quota," she sighed. "And I want to shatter something other than the training grounds. Maybe a missing-nin's face," she added with a playful smirk.

"Who are you and what did you do with Sakura?" a voice said lightly. Kakashi waved his hands in his customary greeting. "Yo! So you've been busy these days, Sakura?"

"Not as much as you, tardy pervert," she shot back with a smile and giving him the wrapped onigiri. "Here, you can eat it while we read the scroll."

"Actually, there's no training scroll today," Kakashi said as he unfolded the treat that she had given him. "We've been called on an A-rank mission."

Three pairs of eyes stared hard at the seasoned Jounin. "Come on, old man, spill already!" Naruto yelled.

"Oh? Ah, yeah. We're going to the Hokage now."

He suddenly found himself alone in the bridge, for his teammates had disappeared, dashing towards the Hokage Tower at top speed.

Naruto and Sasuke climbed up the stairs running, only to see a flash of pink entering the Hokage's office. They stopped momentarily. How she had got there so quickly if they were ahead of her?

-X-

Inside the office, Sakura was greeted with the sight of four men standing next to the Hokage; two of them were quite familiar to her by now.

"Sakura," Tsunade welcomed her. "Naruto, Sasuke... Kakashi," she added, watching the Copy Nin entering the office through the window with a silent wave. "Jounin Team Seven, meet the Alpha ANBU Team. Their real names, if you know them, are forbidden to repeat until further notice."

Sakura gaped openly at the sight of Uchiha Itachi standing next to Tsunade, Shisui next to him. To the Hokage's other side, two dark-haired men stood, one with an obvious fake smile and the other with a relaxed façade.

"Sakura, seal the room."

The pink-haired medic blinked and nodded her head at her shishou's command, setting herself into what she was told. A flare of her chakra was on her hands, which were pressed to the wall and floor simultaneously. This caused several lines of green chakra to intertwine with each other, knitting a web that covered the walls, ceiling and floor.

"Good," Tsunade approved with a hint of pride. "I can't see any gaps, you mastered it."

"It was all thanks to you, shishou," Sakura smiled, a bit embarrassed to be praised in front of an ANBU Team.

"Whoa," Naruto said, observing the net that covered the entire office. "That's a neat technique, Sakura-chan!"

"Hokage-sama, are you sure we can't be overheard?" one of the dark-haired ANBU asked.

"I'm positive, Yamato," she responded easily with a wicked smirk. "Not all medical ninjutsu are for healing, as you can see. And unfortunately for the Sharingan users, only a person with perfect chakra control can master it."

Shisui dipped his head in order to control his silent mirth when he saw the hidden scowl on his youngest cousin's face.

"Tsunade-sama, it would be best if we concentrate with the task at hand," Itachi cut in smoothly. The busty Hokage lifted a brow but nodded.

"Team Seven, you went on a mission for Ieyasu-sama, remember?" she asked, and the four Jounins nodded. "Ieyasu is our Daimyo and the main economical supporter for Konoha. In return for his kindness, we need to provide him with the best shinobi in our village. Those who are in this room right now."

Sakura blushed, something that wasn't missed by four pairs of eyes.

"Well, it's true, Sakura. You are the only medic-nin in Konoha who have enough guts to take on any mission or training I place upon you. As for the rest, Sasuke was the first of his class and Naruto... well, it's Naruto."

"Oi!"

"However!" Tsunade boomed over a few male chuckles and Naruto's indignant protest. "The Alpha Team had been requested to accompany you in this mission. Ieyasu-sama had requested Team Seven to guard him. It seems that he had been received a number of threats, but the last one was the one that really scared him."

Tsunade's hands unrolled the scroll she had in front of her. "He sent me the letter."

As all of the shinobi gathered together around her desk, Sakura read aloud.

"'It is of your best interests if you cut the budget to Konohagakure no Sato. They can stand on their own. Keep in mind that we have you well guarded...' I don't get it, Shishou... why is he paying attention to such a childish threat?"

"Because this was pinned to Ieyasu-sama's firstborn son's body," she said lowly, taking in the surprised faces in front of her. "Someone entered the Fire Daimyo's palace and killed his Heir, leaving this behind."

"That's... sick," Naruto whispered with a disgusted face. Sakura nodded her agreement, as well as Shisui and Yamato.

"Sakura, I want you to perform an autopsy on the son's body as soon as you get there. Kakashi and Itachi will work with the Daimyo. Try to find out who's behind this--"

"I can tell you already, Tsunade-sama," said the Copy Ninja, tracing a finger on the scroll's parchment. "This is a rare material. It can be under the rain and whatever is written on it will not disappear."

"You gave me one of these for my birthday last year," Sakura piped in, looking at her team leader. "You said it was from Amegakure."

"Exactly, the Rain Village," Kakashi nodded with a happy eye crease. "I forgot you had such a good memory, Sakura-chan, what else did I tell you?"

Sakura furrowed her brows, recalling that birthday gathering celebrated on Naruto's apartment. "You said that only fire could destroy it... and this kind of scroll was really good for keeping familiars and summoning animals."

"And...?"

"We recreated the Nin Dog Pack Summoning on my scroll because yours was full of signatures," Sakura completed with a smug smile, reaching into her hip pouch and pulling her scroll and unrolling it open next to the other.

"It is the same kind of material," Shisui said, with his Sharingan alight. "Sakura-san's scroll is way more conserved though. This other one seems to be handled carelessly."

"And there's blood on its creases," Itachi added smoothly.

"Surely it is the Heir's," Sasuke butted in tersely, but it was clear that he merely wanted to add his two cents to the brainstorming session.

"We won't know until Sakura runs the proper tests on it," Tsunade nodded with a frown. "The child was killed with a large weapon, or so that's what Ieyasu-sama said on his dispatch. We don't know if it was a katana or another kind of sword. I want you to find that out. Yamato, you and Naruto will work on the witnesses and interviewing all the servants in the castle. Sai and Sasuke will check the perimeter for security breaches. You leave in two hours, pack a cloak because you'll be heading to the northern Fire."

"Hai!" all the gathered shinobi saluted, before turning to exit her office as all the ANBU slid their masks back on their faces, but not before she could see Shisui offering her a little smile, which she returned before going to the wall and moved her fingers over the chakra net, making the jutsu dispel itself.

"Sakura," Tsunade called. "Stay for a moment. Itachi, you too, please."

She nodded obediently, closing the door and standing next to the Uchiha Heir. He exuded confidence and aloofness, which made her scowl inwardly, remembering how full of himself he had been on that occasion in his house.

"Sakura, Itachi knows how to reach me if the case arises, but I want you to learn the communication jutsu from him. We aren't sure what are we facing, so I want you to relay all the information from the autopsy as soon as possible. Maybe two heads can think better than just one, and the two of you are my most intelligent and reliable shinobi."

The pink-haired medic blushed at the impromptu compliment, but soon she realized that she had to work side by side with the most arrogant, antagonizing man in the whole village. Her lips turned downwards in an open frown.

"Perhaps I can report to Kakashi-sensei and he can get back to you, shishou," she said politely, hoping for her mentor to catch the underlying plea. "He's the most adequate to process all the clues that surely we would find, and he could work on a theory along with Uchiha-san here."

Tsunade's lips pursed reproachfully, but her amber eyes glinted with hidden laughter. "I'm aware of Kakashi's intelligence as well, Sakura, but I need your input _as a medic_, not his. As for Itachi, as an ANBU Captain has plenty of knowledge about criminal and psychological profiles as well as a copy of the Bingo Book. I'm sure you both will come up with some answers as soon as you get to the Daimyo Estate. Now, shoo."

Being promptly praised and told off as well, Sakura found no reason to stay. Bowing slightly to her master, she opened the door and walked out, her senses aware acutely of the silent presence that walked behind her, closing the door noiselessly behind them.

"Sakura-chan!" called a male voice, making her release the breath she was holding unconsciously.

"Naruto, I thought you were packing," she greeted the black and orange ball that landed next to her.

"I was waiting for you," he said with a jovial smile. "What did Tsunade-baachan want now?"

"She wanted me to throttle you to make you stop being to nosy," she shot back with a mock glare. "And she wanted me to have a nice little girly chat with me, wanna know the details?"

The disgusted look on Naruto's face almost made her lose her act. "Hell no, I don't want to know anything about baachan's love life, ew."

Sakura snorted, throwing a covert glance at her back. Itachi had already disappeared, to her relief and inner chagrin when she remembered that she had to go on a mission with him.

"Come on, Naruto," she said, faking cheerfulness. "We need to pack. And we won't pack more than ten bags of instant ramen!"

"But, but—Sakura-chan!" the blond Jounin whined as she dragged him out of the Hokage Tower.

-X-

When they reached the village's gates, only Sasuke was already there.

"Oi, teme!" Naruto saluted, punching him on the arm none-too-lightly. "Why you didn't tell us that your brother was ANBU?"

"Because that's none of your business, dobe," he grunted, pushing him back with his shoulder.

Sakura tch-ed absentmindedly, earning the attention of both of her teammates.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto called her, breaking her out of her reverie. She focused her eyes on both males, which were engaged into a double arm-lock.

"You surely look idiotic, or maybe a little less than straight," she said with a lift of her brow. "And that would explain some things regarding the both of you."

Naruto looked at Sasuke and wiggled away from him with a horrified look. "Sakura-chan! I'm going to have nightmares because of what you said!"

"Are you now?" she deadpanned with a little smirk. "Are you sure?"

"Gah!"

Sasuke looked disgusted as well but he said nothing, preferring to narrow his eyes at the female that was currently laughing silently at them. She was behaving quite strangely lately, to his opinion. More snarky than usual... and she hadn't attempted to shower him with all the attention she was accustomed to do.

He dismissed it as the behavior she showed when she was on her time of the month, but the way that she didn't pay attention to him was kind of nonplussing for him.

Now, watching her flapping out her dark green cloak and slipping it on as she kept teasing Naruto, he asked himself what the hell had gotten into her.

"Come on, Naruto, you taught Konohamaru that stupid jutsu," she was saying as Naruto started to hit his head on the painted wood of the enormous gate. "Don't tell me that you haven't thought that maybe if I used it I could change into a male?"

"EW, Sakura-chan, please!" he whined. "You're way too pretty to henge into a man!"

"And I agree with him," a somewhat off voice sounded next to them, startling the blond and his pink-haired companion and four shadows loomed over them. "Yo, Sasuke-chan, you should stop scowling like that or you'll get all wrinkly."

They looked up, discovering the Alpha ANBU Team perched on the gates.

"And here I thought you would be more inconspicuous," Sasuke growled. Two muted chuckles made him turn, noting that Sakura and Naruto were laughing behind their hands. "Tch."

As the Alpha Team landed noiselessly in front of Team Seven, Sakura noticed that all of them had their sandy-colored cloaks pulled on their heads, covering every physical trait that might have identify them as the men that she saw at the Hokage's.

"It would be a pleasure to work with Team Seven," offered the masked man next to the one she knew was Shisui. His voice led him as the male that Tsunade had called Yamato. "For now, our Captain wants you to address us as the animals we sport on our masks."

"Excellent idea, Weasel-san," Kakashi said by the way of a greeting, poofing next to Naruto. "Eagle-san, Hawk-san, Tiger-san."

Sakura noticed straightaway that Shisui nodded when Kakashi pronounced his totem animal, the hawk, while the other shinobi did the same at the eagle name. So that left the lean, pale boy she had seen in her mentor's office, Sai, as the tiger.

The pink-haired medic's eyes slipped to the last member of the ANBU Team, the weasel. The white porcelain mask was directed directly at her, as if the Uchiha behind it was staring right back at her.

Not knowing what to do, she felt a dull warmth on her cheeks. Clearing her throat, she piped in the conversation, trying to overcome her flustered state.

"Naruto, put your cloak on, I'm sure we will depart soon."

"And without delay," Itachi's steely but polite voice seeped through his mask. "We need to reach the Fire Temple before nightfall."

"So, children, are you ready?" Kakashi asked good-naturedly, trying to soften the ANBU's cold command. Sakura lifted a brow at her former sensei before slipping her head in her cloak's hood.

"Good and set, Ero-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, copying Sakura's movements.

With a nod to Itachi, Kakashi jumped to the first tree branch, followed closely by his team, while the ANBU vanished from the gates with a whisper.

-X-

They had caught a little bit of drizzle while leaping from branch to branch, the ANBU team hot on their heels.

"Sakura-chan, are you sure you don't want to get a shelter or something?" Naruto asked, shaking his head from side to side to get rid of the water that clogged his hair.

"I'm not made of sugar, Naruto. I can take a little bit of rain," she said with a sigh. "Besides, the Fire Temple is not that far, we can camp there and continue tomorrow."

"I'm sure that's the plan, Sakura," added Kakashi, bouncing next to her. "Aren't you tired?"

The emerald glare sent to his way was enough of an answer.

"No, Kakashi-sensei, I'm not tired."

"You have less stamina than the three of us," Sasuke observed abruptly. "If you exhaust your reserves we aren't going to make it to the Temple if we have to carry you."

"Why, thank you for your deep observation, Sasuke," she shot back. "I'll have to keep that in mind that when I'll perform a healing on you guys."

Landing in a wide branch, she sent a minute pulse of enough chakra that the next one to land on it –her Uchiha teammate– broke it in splinters with his weight, nearly sending him plummeting straight to the forest ground.

"Sakura!" Kakashi exclaimed, surprised of such display of non-concern for Sasuke from her.

"Want to catch me?" she said lightly, focusing on her fleeing jumping way and her chakra gathering in her legs and feet. "Let's play, boys. If I get first to the Fire Temple you're going to apologize for being a bunch of morons, get that?"

And with that, she took off like a green-clad flash.

"How the hell--"

"Come on, Naruto!" Sasuke said, gaining speed. "Are you going to let her get away with that?"

Kakashi sighed deeply behind them. Sakura's little stunt proved that she was even more competitive than the two young males under his command. He was sure that it was Tsunade's doing, but he didn't say anything to avoid a direct confrontation.

But lifting his head to the 'road', he had to notice that the medic was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn perfect chakra control," he grumbled, hearing a faint male snicker over him.

-X-

Sakura landed on the ground in front of the Fire Temple's gates with a soft hush. Smiling in triumph, she turned her head and noticed that it was a cloaked figure already there, standing next to the gates as if he had been waiting for a while for them.

The masked face came up and she frowned. A weasel.

"Where is the rest of your team?" he asked coolly.

"Sniffing for my conditioner," she replied sarcastically as she turned around and watched how Naruto landed on his bottom while Sasuke landed with a thud on the ground, both panting slightly from the race. "Boys."

"Maa, Sakura," Kakashi scolded behind her, startling her for a moment. "What were you trying to prove, that bunnies run faster than squirrels?"

"No, my point was about panthers and wolves, Kakashi-sensei," she shot back with a smirk. He let out a chuckle as the other three ANBU Ops flickered in front of their Captain.

"The monk said that they're under a state of emergency, Taichou," Yamato's voice floated to them. "One of the Fire Twelve Shinobi Guardsmen had been killed."

"I figured as much," Itachi answered curtly. "How bad are the damages?"

"Ninety-five percent of the Temple is in ruins, Captain," a new muffled male voice responded. Team Seven understood that the owner of the voice was the pale young man in the Alpha's Team.

"What can we do to help?" asked Naruto, worried when he saw a trail of blood from the unhinged gate.

"Be on your guard," ordered Itachi. "We don't know if the premises are clear. Tiger."

"Hai," the cloaked operative nodded, pulling out a scroll and a brush. Several rats and birds sprang out to life from the parchment, spreading quickly in all directions.

"Team Seven will pair up with the ANBU partners that the Hokage had devised for our mission. Hawk, protect our medic," the Uchiha leader added, leaping onto the big gate followed closely by Kakashi.

"Naruto, keep your big mouth shut," growled Sasuke before taking off with Sai. Grumbling in annoyance, the blond ninja followed by the eagle masked male, Yamato.

"What do you know about the Shinobi Guardsmen, Sakura-san?" asked Shisui softly, walking next to her and standing back to back, their senses alert.

"Not much," she murmured with a frown. "I know that almost all of them live in Konoha, I didn't know that there was a monk among the members of the Daimyo's Guards."

"Very good, Sakura-san," the elder Uchiha said lightly. "This particular man was to be retired by the end of the year, but apparently someone wasn't too agreeable with this."

She was about to ask how did he knew that when a black inked cat shot out of the Temple's remnants, making her jump slightly.

"Come on, the coast is clear," he whispered, skipping towards the door, the pink-haired medic in tow.

The Temple was obliterated beyond recognition.

The Hawk Operative and the cloaked petite medic-nin walked in carefully, surveying the damage and avoiding carefully the debris and boulders that lay scattered around the site.

"Kami-sama..." Sakura murmured under her breath.

"Sakura-chan!" they heard Naruto's voice to their right. "There's a survivor here!"

A poof was heard next, leaving the elder Uchiha behind the mask lifting his brow, stunned. How did she teleport away? That jutsu was ANBU level...

"Don't move him, Naruto," she ordered as soon as she arrived with a poof. "I'll take it from here."

Kneeling next to the bloodied monk, she slipped the hood of the cloak back in order to free her face. Emerald eyes surveyed the patient carefully as she pulled her gloves off. The monk opened his eyes and breathed lightly.

"Leaf--" he choked. "I need--"

"Souryo-sama, let me heal you," she said softly. "I'm from Leaf."

The man breathed again, relieved, and slipped into unconsciousness. The rest of the teams gathered around the monk while she worked.

"Kakashi-sensei, I sense a disruption of chakra near the monk's main artery," Sakura spoke suddenly, without taking her eyes off her patient. "Can you please take a look?"

"It seems like the after-effects of a jutsu," he answered readily. "Can you break the disruption?"

"Yes, but something doesn't let me reach it," she responded, making her hands glow more intensely with green medical chakra. "It's like if something blocks my chakra."

"There's another disruption on the first one that acts as a barrier."

Sakura snapped her eyes open, looking up at the ANBU that had said that. Uchiha Itachi looked down at her, watching how her orbs narrowed in analytical deliberation.

"...I can sense it now," she said absently, averting her eyes again to her patient. "It's like two whirlpools gyrating in different directions..."

Her hands flared with both of her chakras, one green and one blue. Slipping a string of hand seals, she slammed her palms together and brought them next on the monk's chest, pouring the mixed energy into his body.

"In order to break the barriers I'll have to attack it and heal it at the same time," she murmured to herself. "This one was hidden because it was placed in a little tenketsu point... I'm no Hyuuga, but I know that this specific point is quite important to distribute the chakra on the main pathways of the body... so I'll have to do it the hard way."

Lifting the hand with light blue chakra, she directed one finger over the man's heart.

"Don't you dare die on me, Souryo-sama," she added, pressing her finger and surrounding it with her other hand, glowing green. She felt Naruto kneeling next to her and a little smile curved on her lips.

"Gambatte, Sakura-chan," he said in a whisper. She nodded gratefully, glad that he had understood the gravity of the situation.

"There!" she opened her eyes again in surprise. "The first disruption was so tiny it got confused with the big one... and the other one is a piece of cake."

The monk opened his eyes again, breathing more freely. "Thank you..."

"No need to thank me, Souryo-sama," she smiled, brushing his forehead and part of his bald head. "You'll be just fine, I promise."

"Who did all this, Souryo-sama?" asked Kakashi, crouching next to the monk. "Do you remember something?"

"Yes," he responded weakly. "Two men in black cloaks with red clouds came and slayed Chiriku-sama... they said they were members of the Akatsuki."

-XxX-

**AN:** Just messing with the manga timeline here, people. The events are going to be twisted up but with the same conclusion. Keep in mind that the mission to Suna didn't happen just yet, but the events regarding Hidan and Kakuzu did. Also, the Isonade (the three-tailed bijuu) was captured as well by the Akatsuki before the events relayed in this chapter. Regarding the Shukaku, let's say that the organization hadn't made a move on Gaara just yet.

Also, the _Souryo_ is a monk, heheh.

Thanks for reading!


	5. Possibly Maybe

**Chapter 5: ****Possibly Maybe**

-X-

"We couldn't find the body, Taichou," Sai said blandly. "Apparently they took it away."

"The monk said they were collecting Chiriku-sama's head for a bounty," Yamato added. "This complies with the Modus Operandi of that Waterfall nukenin we got briefed about a while ago."

"Yes, indeed," Itachi nodded his acquiescence. "And it seems that the other one has a taste for blood," he added, looking at the pink-haired medic that was examining one of the monk's mangled corpses, waiting for the survivor to wake up again. It was past sunset already, and while Sasuke built up a bonfire next to the stairs and Naruto went about preparing dinner with Shisui, Kakashi and Sakura went to check on the other monks that fell under the onslaught of those two criminals.

Out of the sudden, he saw Sakura trip with her own feet and fall to her knees. Kakashi walked up to her, extending a hand.

"You OK, Sakura?"

"Yes..." she whispered. "I'm just tired."

"You shouldn't have pulled that stunt race, you know," he said lowly. "Your chakra reserves are more precious than all of ours. Don't be so hard on yourself."

She smiled dryly. "My stamina is not up for discussion, Kakashi-sensei," she said offhandedly. "Besides, it was the healing that took a lot of my chakra anyway."

"Go lay down," he ordered her as she stood. "I'll finish here."

"But--"

"No buts, Sakura. Go."

She pressed her lips together and nodded curtly, obeying her team leader. As she walked towards the little camp, the ANBU Team noticed how her legs were trembling under her light weight, as Kakashi went to confer with the other masked ninjas.

"We'll need another two days to finish up the investigation," he said in his lazy tone, turning his head to watch Sakura being engulfed in an embrace from their blond teammate and steering her to the bedroll.

"We cannot afford to lose any more time," Itachi answered smoothly, detailing how she growled irritably at Naruto and punched him in the arm, chiding him about his bad manners. "We've sent one of Tiger's ink birds with a request for the Hokage to send another team to this location. They should be here by tomorrow past noon."

"Good thinking, Weasel-taichou," Kakashi nodded, feeling a bit impressed by Itachi's quickness in handling the matter. "I'll speak with my team to arrange watch shifts."

"Let the medic rest, Kakashi-san" the Uchiha Heir added politely. "She's out of chakra. We can manage with my team as well."

"I figured that, Weasel-taichou," Kakashi replied good-humoredly with a guarded eye crease. "Thank you for understanding."

Shisui, behind his mask, lifted a puzzled eyebrow at his cousin. 'What's up with him?' he mused inwardly.

-X-

Sakura woke up minutes before sunrise, the sky over the camp red with dawn colors. Yawning and stretching like a cat, she opened her eyes to see that Shisui was the only one sitting straight, keeping watch over the slumbering shinobi.

"Ohayo, Sakura-san," he greeted her politely in a low whisper. She nodded with a sleepy smile before swiveling her head to survey her patient, who was asleep next to the embers that remained from the bonfire.

"Ohayo, Shis- er... Hawk-san," she responded, rising to her knees and crawling to the monk's form. "No one awoke me for the watch shifts," she added absentmindedly, gathering a little bit of chakra to check on her patient. "No fever. Temperature about normal... chakra pathways are flowing normally. No inner injuries and no other disruptions that I can see."

"He's out of danger, then?" Shisui asked softly. She nodded with a satisfied smile.

"Aa, he's healthy enough. Maybe we can escort him back to Konoha before going to the Daimyo's Palace..."

"I'm afraid we won't, Haruno-san," Yamato's masked voice broke from his cloaked form on his bedroll. "We need to move out as soon as possible."

"I understand," she said with a frown. "I almost wanted to lead him to the hospital... but I'm sure he can get back to the village on his own."

"A team will arrive soon to retrieve him," Itachi's voice sounded a bit rough but still with that hint of cold politeness that made her wince internally. "We will move out shortly."

"Hai," she answered, knowing when to admit defeat. They had a mission to start and accomplish, after all. Naruto woke up next and started the usual round of yawning and whining, lightening the tense atmosphere among them. Kakashi and Sasuke rose and soon everyone was on their feet.

Approaching to her aware patient, Sakura smiled slightly. "Souryo-sama, we have to go... but soon you'll be retrieved by other Konoha-nins. Please wait for them."

"I will, medic-san," the monk bowed his head. "I will pray to the Gods for your success in your mission. I am most grateful for your thoughtful healing."

"It is my way of the ninja," she commented with a proud smile. "Be well, Souryo-sama."

The bald monk nodded. "May the Gods look upon you all. Thank you."

Slipping her gloves on and the hood covering the pink tresses, Team Seven started their trek to Fire City, while Team Alpha waited for the team from the village.

-X-

"Hey, Naruto, why did no one wake me up for watch?" asked Sakura after a long while of silence. The blond ninja blinked his azure orbs and glanced briefly to Kakashi, who was behind them.

"You needed rest, Sakura," observed Kakashi lazily. "You were out of chakra."

"Tch."

"You drained yourself with the race," Sasuke added scathingly. "If a fight broke in the Temple you wouldn't be able to defend yourself."

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. "You are just sore because I won the race and now you have to apologize to me!"

The young Uchiha threw a cold glare at her over his shoulder. "I do not have to apologize for anything."

The pink-haired medic's fists clenched in anger but she didn't respond to his taunt. She knew perfectly well what he was doing: baiting her just like he did with Naruto. Well, she was going to react the opposite he was accustomed to see from their blond teammate.

"Very well, Sasuke," she said calmly. He turned his head one more time, but she had pulled her hood over her eyes, making impossible to discern where she was looking.

"Sakura-chan, are you angry with Sasuke-teme?" Naruto came to her side. "Don't mind him; he's just upset because you won that race fair and square... and he definitely needs to apologize for being such a moron to you!"

"The bet was for the three of us, dobe," Sasuke sneered at the front of their group. Naruto's eyes widened and stared at Sakura, pouting slightly.

"Really, Sakura-chan? Do you really think we are a bunch of morons?"

"No, Naruto," she caught his meaning hastily. "Kakashi-sensei is anything but a moron, he's just the most apathetic person I've ever met," Sakura said, glancing at her back where the alluded Copy-Ninja waved and offered a cheerful eye crease. "You, on the other hand, are not a moron either. You are an idiot, but not a moron."

"Oi!"

"And you're also my best friend," Sakura completed, not paying heed to Naruto's protest. "I can't be friends with a moron, now can I?"

"I don't know, Sakura-chan... you dated Neji!"

She let out an incredulous laugh. "He's not a moron, Naruto! He happens to be the prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan! How can he be a prodigy if he's not a genius?"

Sasuke muttered something in front of them but she didn't hear. Naruto, however, did.

"Teme! Neji might be a pain in the ass but he's quite strong!"

"And he's also an ANBU Op," completed Sakura, feeling suddenly sadistic and twisting the jab. "My best guess is that he will be Captain soon enough... so he would be on par with another prodigy."

Predictably, the spiky-haired ninja tensed his shoulders and said nothing.

'_Serves you right, Sasuke-kun_,' her Inner personality voiced raucously and Sakura couldn't agree more with her. She felt undermined and pretty much scorned at the Uchiha right now to see how rigid with irritation he was. She had deliberately left him out of her explanation, because she wanted him to know how upset she was with him... and apparently, he had noticed.

But then, she saw Sasuke shaking his head minutely and slipping into mission-mode again.

Stupid Uchiha's, she thought. She just couldn't believe how arrogant that family was. The only one that was salvageable was Shisui, but even him had a prickly streak somewhere, she was completely sure about that. He could be really nice, but a bastard when the occasion was at hand.

She was not going to think about Sasuke's older brother. She wasn't. He was just an arrogant, stupid bastard that needed to hear a piece of her mind. He was just an idiot that needed some lessons in society. He was--

_Gah_.

'_He's just an idiot that happens to be way more attractive than Sasuke-kun!_' her mental roommate cheered lewdly. Coughing lightly and pummeling Inner Sakura to the deep recesses of her mind, she forced the furious blush to recede from her face.

-X-

The Daimyo's Palace was beyond the river, Sakura remembered from the last time she and her team had gone to Fire City. They had made a halt in their trek to gather their wits before going to the Daimyo.

"Naruto, remember the last time we were there," Kakashi was saying. "Despite how nice Ieyasu-sama was to you this time he won't take any joke lightly."

"His first son is dead," Sasuke said. "We need to behave accordingly."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," the blond replied, annoyed.

"What about the Alpha Team? Do we wait for them?"

"No need, Sakura," Kakashi said in a bored tone. "They are already here."

Sakura snapped her eyes to the trees, making a brown cloak among the foliage. She shook her head, smiling wanly. Damn ANBU.

As they made their way over the river bank and the water, the four shinobi dropped from the branches and joined the others in their run towards the Daimyo's home.

The Palace was a huge structure that was meant to intimidate. And most of the visitors were intimidated indeed when seeing such building meant to show off how powerful the leader of the Fire Country was.

Fire City was also another design meant to intimidate. This defeated the purpose of Konoha, Sakura thought, because the lines and streets were devised for functionality rather than secluding all the businesses in their own zone. The bakers, the artisans, even the oirans had a special district, making difficult for people to hide their private business from prying eyes.

It was so much different from Konoha, where everyone was mingled except for the Ninja Clans. Ichiraku was a ramen stand that was flanked by an expensive kimono shop for ladies of the Leaf high society and a book store. It was the villagers' way, to build their business where they pleased and where they felt the outcome will be benefiting for them.

Sakura smiled faintly under her cloak. Four green figures and four brown ones made their way to the red and yellow painted Palace, taking in the tall towers and how the walls seemed to ban all prying gazes from its private quarters.

There was, however, a small contingent of soldiers in red armor that Sakura didn't remember being there the last time she was there. Staying in the back, she watched Kakashi and one of the ANBU – the Eagle operative – talking with the commander of the red-clad soldiers. Curious enough, most of the soldiers were wearing white paint on their faces, as well as a black band on their arms.

Suddenly, it became clear. They were mourning.

Sakura let out a deep sigh. This mission would be very difficult for her, she knew that already. But watching the gate's soldiers with those blatant symbols of the Daimyo's loss was, to say the least, heartbreaking.

She watched how Kakashi and Yamato got approving nods from the soldier's commanders. Soon enough, the eight shinobi were inside the Palace, walking towards a meeting with the Lord of their Country.

The Daimyo's study was a place Sakura never got the opportunity to enter in their past mission, but she forgot to look at her surroundings when she took in the pitiful state of the Fire Country's Lord. Kasai Ieyasu didn't look like the magnificent man that received Team Seven back in the day. His hair was all white now, and his eyes were totally sunk in their sockets. A myriad of wrinkles were sprayed on his once regal face, leaving him with the appearance of a nonagenarian man.

But his eyes were sharp and haunted; Sakura noted when the Daimyo looked up from a scroll when the ninja entered the room. "Hoods and masks out," he ordered sternly and without preamble.

The ANBU looked at one of them while the other shinobi pulled their green hoods from their heads obediently.

"My Lord," Kakashi began, "ANBU regulations keep ninja from showing--"

"I am perfectly aware of those regulations, Hatake. I was the one who made them legal. Thank Kami I don't force you to remove that mask of yours. Now, I want to see your faces or you are out of this commission faster than lightning strikes a tree."

The man in the weasel mask nodded to his team. Soon, the faces of the ANBU team were displayed for the Daimyo and everyone in the room to see.

The Fire Lord was silent for a moment. "Good. Three Uchiha, the infamous Copy Ninja and also the strongest medic-nin of all Fire Country. I see Tsunade was not kidding when she wrote me about sending me her best operatives."

Poking lightly Naruto's side, Sakura and her Team kneeled in front of the Daimyo. "We are here to help you, Kasai-sama," Kakashi said serious but politely. Sakura noted that the other men had kneeled as well.

"I am glad you are," continued the old Lord. "I take you have been briefed with all the factors."

This was not a question but a statement. How different he acted from the man they've met long time ago, Sakura pondered as the ANBU Captain took permission to speak.

"The Hokage informed us of all the happenings within the Fire Palace, My Lord. We are at your service. We assure you that we are going to resolve this matter in no time."

Itachi's confident tone brought a little calm to the pink-haired medic's inner distress. This was a dangerous mission; if they failed Konoha might as well kiss good-bye to their budget, and this was not an acceptable destiny for her beloved village.

"I am sure we can collect clues from your servants and the scene," Itachi was saying softly. A sudden chill went down Sakura's spine when the Daimyo's eyes flashed with despair. Her heart ached for the man's pain, making her bite her lower lip in worry.

This, however, didn't go unnoticed by the Daimyo himself. His sharp grey eyes slid from Itachi's to her emerald orbs as if they were peering into her very soul.

"Haruno," he spoke next, with a strained, tired voice. "You will find... my son in his chambers. I trust you will handle this matter efficiently."

She bowed deeply. "I'll give you my word, Kasai-sama."

"Do not insult me, girl," the man countered harshly, shocking her and her teammates. "I believe I have granted you permission to address me according to the bond we created the last time you were here."

Sakura's eyebrows rose in concern. "Of course, Ieyasu-sama. Please forgive me for my rudeness," she said, bowing again, deeper than her last.

"Good. Hatake, Uchiha, your task begins now."

With only a glance at his Team, Itachi got his men bowing to the Fire Lord and retreating silently from the room. Sasuke looked at Naruto and nodded. Sakura rose with them, in order to leave the shinobi leaders and the Daimyo alone.

"Uzumaki," the Fire Lord's voice stopped them. "Please stay here. Hatake will take your place. Uchiha will go with Haruno."

Sakura blinked, but bowed again at the man's orders. It was probably for the best, seeing how Ieyasu's eyes seemed to lighten when Naruto kneeled in front of him.

Heaving a sigh, she walked out of the room, Uchiha Itachi in tow.

-X-

Both their steps resounded in the enormous hallway. Sakura sighed again, not really paying attention to the heavy and expensive decorations.

"Is something on your mind, Haruno-san?" the ANBU behind her asked smoothly. She glanced at his onyx eyes for a moment before shaking her head.

"Maybe you will be more useful with Kakashi-sensei," she murmured, suddenly wishing to be alone with her impending task. "An autopsy is not a pleasant procedure."

"I am merely following the Daimyo's orders," he whispered back dryly. "And do not worry, I have seen worse."

She chose not to rise to his baiting as they neared the Firstborn's chambers. Sakura took in a deep breath and nodded for the servant to open the big oak doors. As she expected, a stench of death and deteriorating flesh slapped at her medical senses.

"Thank you," she murmured to the tearful servant. "Please close the doors after we enter."

"But the preparations for the funeral--"

"I'm aware of the rituals," Sakura countered easily and kindly. "You will get the Heir's body intact."

Bowing hastily, the maid allowed entrance to the ninja into the room, closing the door behind them.

"Kasai Tsuyoshi, age ten," she murmured as she approached the bed where the child's body laid, untouched. "Presents gashes on his midriff and neck. Wound on the center of the chest indicates a direct blow to the heart."

Itachi merely watched her as she went about her findings, his Sharingan following closely to her enumerating facts. Pulling her gloves off and closing her eyes for a moment, she placed a hand on the child's chest.

"No chakra was involved in this wound..."

"Look at his head."

Opening her own emerald orbs, she stared at the Uchiha's red ones, as her chakra moved to the place he had suggested. A spark of recognition and surprise lit her features for a moment. "I see a disruption of chakra in his brain."

"It can be..." she trailed off as she placed her other hand on the spot he pointed at. She emitted a thoughtful sound. "Hmm... this is the remains of the child's chakra. When a person is killed by surprise, a little amount of chakra hides in the center of the brain, in order to act like a last resort for the brain to keep functioning. This reflex allows for the medics to keep feeding the brain with chakra pulses while others restore the body and the heart."

"So you can reanimate the child?" Itachi asked with a little hint of curiosity in his flat tone. Sakura shook her head.

"I can't do that. I don't have enough chakra for a massive energy insertion, and the patient isn't a ninja. He doesn't even have a heart, it got ripped out. I can't heal something that isn't there."

"I understand," Itachi nodded, walking slowly to the bed. "Do you need assistance?"

"No thanks, I'll just clean the body and perform the autopsy."

Itachi grunted, but didn't move from his spot. Sakura's hands retrieved a roll of gauze from her pack and looked around for something.

"Can you... ask the servant for some water? Warm, if they can?"

Itachi glanced at her briefly before walking decisively to the doors and issuing the order curtly to the maid.

"Oh, child," Sakura murmured sadly, looking to the closed eyes of the Fire's Firstborn. "You got caught up in a political maelstrom just because of your heritage. I truly hope your soul gets rest soon, Tsuyoshi-kun."

"We will make sure of that," Itachi answered for him as he placed the lacquered bowl full of warm water on the nightstand. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"No, Uchiha-san. Thank you," Sakura whispered, her eyes full of tears as she dipped the gauze on the water. "I'll take it from here."

He stood next to the bed, while Sakura started her procedure, placing a metal case with surgical instruments next to the boy's head. Sharingan eyes surveyed the room inch by inch, as he listened to the pink-haired medic's attempts to clear her throat full of sad sighs, among the sound of the water being squeezed out of the cloth as she cleaned the blood off of the corpse.

He didn't say a word. And for that, she was suddenly grateful with him.

-X-

"... Oh, Kami."

Itachi's eyes slid from their spot in space to land on the child's bloody chest, waiting for an explanation from the kunoichi. It didn't take long.

But he didn't expect to be inwardly taken aback by the sudden fire that soared from the depth of her emerald eyes.

"This was made with a large weapon, a broadsword or a... scythe," she reported, looking angry, pointing at one of the wounds. "I saw these kinds of wounds from the monks we found in the Fire Temple."

"So this is the handiwork of one of those nukenin from the Akatsuki criminal organization," he concluded, his brain already making connections and building theories. "What else?"

"It looks... as if the child drove a knife to his own heart," Sakura mused out loud. "But that's ridiculous, who can provide this child with a knife? He was the Heir; there was no need for him to be armed."

"Clean up your hands," Itachi ordered suddenly. "We need to confer with the Hokage."

Sakura stared at him for a moment but her hands obeyed his command on their own volition. "Uhm... how--oh, the communication jutsu."

"Indeed," he nodded curtly, pulling out a little scroll. "This is the hand-seal sequence. Make sure you apply enough chakra to the last ram seal, otherwise it won't work. Take a seat."

Joining him on the floor next to the bed after a light hesitation, she unrolled the scroll and studied the signs. "It looks like the summoning jutsu, but it ends differently."

"Yes. But the amount of chakra employed for the _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_ is greater than the communication jutsu. You will need to enter a meditation state quickly. Can you do it?"

Sakura nodded, shooting him an exasperated glance as she lifted her hands. "Yes, I can."

Their hands flew in sync through the same seals, remaining in the last one, two fingers raised between gathered hands. Sakura's senses jumped in surprise when she found herself in the Hokage's office, looking at her mentor's smug façade.

"How did it go, Itachi?" she heard Tsunade asking, hearing her voice faintly as if she was shouting in a windy field.

"She managed in the first try," she heard his calm answer and felt ridiculously pleased with herself. "Report your findings to the Hokage, Haruno-san."

"Hi, Shishou," she started shyly, her senses picking up Tsunade's proud smile. "Uhm... Tsuyoshi-kun's body presents gashes and some markings that indicate restraining of his limbs."

"The child was bound?" she heard the blonde ask. Sakura nodded.

"Hai... the marks look like wire bindings, but they didn't cut the skin. It was more like regular threads... also, the gashes, Tsunade-shishou, the boy presents the same wounds that I found in the casualties at the Fire Temple."

"I've seen the results of your investigation already, Sakura, thank you for leaving those clues on the monk. But that means that the Akatsuki is responsible for the two assassinations."

"We have enough evidence to conclude that these particular works belong to two ninjas, one from Waterfall and the other from an unknown village. Their names are not disclosed just yet, but it is certain that one of them carries a large scythe."

"Remind me to dispatch a full request for a copy of the Bingo Book in Waterfall when you get back, Itachi," Tsunade spoke quickly. "You and Sakura did a fine job with this. Keep me posted, please."

"Hai," both ninja agreed and lowered their fingers, breaking the connection. Sakura opened her eyes slowly, perceiving a gray-white expanse of fabric in front of her. Blinking to gain focus, she lifted her gaze and looked straight to Itachi's Sharingan eyes.

They stared at each other for a long moment, but Sakura was the first to lower her eyes. Feeling a warmth seeping on her face, she cleared her throat and stood up, returning to the child's body.

"I have to finish," she said offhandedly, sticking her hands on the now cold water bowl tinged with red. Itachi stood up and went to the door.

"I will send one of your teammates to you. I need to speak with the Daimyo. Good job, Haruno-san."

Sakura's mouth opened in a gape as the door closed behind him. Did he just compliment her?

...But, _why_ an Uchiha felt the need to praise a regular mortal, especially the Uchiha Heir?

-X-

Sasuke found her in the Firstborn room when Kakashi said he would find their female teammate. Standing in the door, he watched closely how she wrapped a white, clean sheet on the dead boy's body, her viridian eyes betraying how sad she felt due to the decease of said child.

"Sakura," he said, watching how she flinched when hearing his cold tone. "Kakashi wants you to finish here as soon as possible. We're holding a meeting with the other team in our assigned quarters."

"I'm already finished," she murmured, nodding to the awaiting servants. "He's already cleaned up with water, but the incense and the other cleanings hadn't been applied."

"We are thankful for your help, Sakura-sama," the maid answered, bowing deeply to the pink-haired medic. "We will take it from here."

"Yes, of course," she answered, tracing a finger on the child's covered forehead and walking to the door without looking back.

Another servant led the two jounins to the quarters that the Fire Lord had assigned to the shinobi. When he opened the door, a tanned, anxious face lifted from the circle of sitting males.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto called softly, standing to embrace his best friend protectively. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said with a deep breath, noting the eyes of the rest of the others on her. "I'm just emotionally drained."

"Please take a seat, Sakura," Kakashi said lightly, pointing at a spot next to him. Yamato offered her a cup of tea, which she took with a nod of thanks. "Uchiha-san has explained everything to us. Do you want to add anything more?"

"I don't think so," she murmured, letting out a deep sigh. "It's obvious we're dealing with the assassins of that Daimyo Guard in the Fire Temple, although I don't know why they felt the need to restrain the child if they caught him in his sleep."

"Explain the chakra reflex," Itachi said suddenly. She frowned at her tea cup, enjoying briefly the warmth of the cup seeping into her hands. It was a reassuring sensation.

"It's a medical theory – all people possess chakra, but only we shinobi know how to focus and mold it to our necessities."

"That's nonsense, Sakura," Sasuke scoffed derisively. "Only ninjas have focusing energy."

Sakura lifted a brow. "Are you sure, Sasuke? What about the Fire Guard, Chiriku? Or the Souryo I healed back in the Fire Temple?"

"Lay down your weapons, children," Shisui said good-naturedly, placating. "I agree with Sakura-san, I saw the monk's chakra pathways myself. But what's that has to do with the 'chakra reflex' Itachi referred to earlier?"

"Like I was trying to say, people's chakra tends to convert into energy when the subject is not a ninja," Sakura relayed, closing her eyes and remembering the Firstborn's picture on his bed: bloody and mangled. Brows furrowing in a hard scowl, the medic-nin opened her eyes again and stared back at Shisui. "But then again, the chakra reflex is just a medical term for the last jerk of the body when it dies. I've seen quite a lot of subjects that were reanimated –only ninja patients, though– by triggering that spark of chakra inside their brains."

"Interesting concept, Haruno-san," Yamato piped in. "So you perceived a chakra spark on the child's head?"

"I didn't," she answered, looking at Itachi, who was looking out of the window. "Uchiha-san did. After the autopsy, I managed to identify the scythe wounds and the thread binding markings."

"That nukenin of Waterfall was certainly involved in this murder," Itachi said from his post near the window without turning. "The other one is the scythe-wielder. We need to keep looking for clues –I feel we are not the only shinobi in the Palace at the moment."

"Do you think they're _here_?" Sasuke asked, wide-eyed. "What are we waiting for?"

"Not so fast, Sasuke-chan," Shisui added after a glance from his young ANBU cousin. "There are a lot of civilians in the Palace. And we have to protect the Daimyo as well, and the rest of his family. We can't simply jump into a battle because we want to maul those fuckers."

Sakura gaped at Shisui, not really believing he had cursed in a loud voice. He gazed briefly at her and smirked.

"I believe there still are Uchiha that can keep you in your toes, Sakura-san, am I wrong?"

She snorted. "You are impossible, Shisui-san!"

"We will deploy in the phoenix formation," Itachi interrupted the light banter tersely. "The medic stays near the Daimyo while the others scout the Palace. We don't have any more time to lose."

"So like the perfect lady I am to stay back and watch?" the pink-haired jounin asked sarcastically. "I can tear this Palace down with a flick of my wrist and I can't take part in the battle?"

"Sakura, you are our medic, you need to protect the Daimyo," Kakashi said hastily, watching how the Uchiha Heir turned to look at her over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. "Besides, we need to come to you if we're injured – how we can stand a chance if you're unconscious or injured as well?"

"Stop making a scene, Sakura," Sasuke added, but Naruto jumped next to him caught him in a headlock.

"You need to shut your trap, teme!" he shouted. "Demo, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei is right... you are safer inside with Ojiji-sama," he added awkwardly, scratching his head.

"Well, since everyone is against the feminist movement, I guess I shall stay indoors avoiding all harm," she sneered derisively, looking back at the elder Uchiha brother. "In fact, I think I'll have some tea with Ieyasu-sama--"

A thunderous crack and an explosion resounded throughout the entire Fire Palace.

"Forget the tea, Haruno-san," Itachi said in a flat tone with a hint of sarcasm. "We are under attack already."

-XxX-

**AN:** HEEEEE!! BATTORU!! 8D

Sorry for the wait, folks! I was dealing with some work-related issues.

I hope you liked this chapter, though. As many of you know by now, I took the Shogun Tokugawa's first name for the Fire Daimyo. I thought it fit for his character. _Kasai_, though, means "Fire, Family court".

As for the chakra spark thingy I pulled out of my butt, I assure that you will see more about that later.

As always, much love to my lovely beta, Sometime.Usagi, for her awesome insights and opinions! Thank you so much, Bunny Lady!. :3

Thanks for reading!


	6. There’s More to Life Than This

**Chapter 6: ****There's More to Life Than This**

-X-

Sakura cursed viciously under her breath.

The main room was packed with servants, advisors and the Daimyo's family. A tense silence hung like the proverbial knife over their heads, while they heard explosions from time to time out in the Palace grounds.

Gloves pulled on and fists clenched, the medic-nin stood next to the Fire Lord near a window. His eyes couldn't follow the speed of the fighters, but Sakura's were drawn to the battles like a moth to the flame.

Sasuke was launching fire balls at a blond ninja that was flying over the Palace with some sort of a white bird, while Naruto kept building shadow clones in order to reach the bird. Yamato was against a weird, short shinobi that resembled a scorpion. Sai was against a tall man that was sending what it looked like black threads to the ANBU, but Sai's inked animals were doing their job. Kakashi, on the other side, was against a silver-haired man that was cackling maniacally as the Copy Ninja kept throwing kunai at him. Shisui was fighting marvelously against a blue-skinned ninja that swung a huge sword like it weighted nothing, while Itachi fought one-on-one against a man wearing an orange-swirled mask.

"Sakura, tell me what is happening," the Daimyo whispered. She shook her head as she winced in sympathy when Naruto fell heavily onto the ground, explosions blasting around him.

"There are six enemies," she reported to the Fire Lord. "They are wearing black cloaks with red clouds."

"They were the ones that killed my Tsuyoshi!" the man whispered fiercely, eyes shining with pain. Sakura placed a calming hand on the Daimyo's arm.

"I beg of you, Ieyasu-sama, calm down," she pleaded. "Do you have some escape route we can use? The Fire Country is nothing without you, My Lord."

The man issued a series of commands that put all the people gathered in the room moving. As they traveled to a hidden tunnel that led outside the Palace, Sakura couldn't help but worry sick about her teammates and the ANBU team. Those nukenins were dangerous, that was more than obvious.

But the last movement of the orange-masked nin against the Uchiha Heir, slashing Itachi's arm, worried her more than she was willing to admit out loud.

-X-

They reached the outskirts of the Fire City through the underground passage.

"Go back, Haruno," the Fire Lord ordered. "I will send a messenger hawk to Tsunade telling her my new location. I will journey to Konoha when I deem it safe for my family."

"But, Ieyasu-sama!" she protested. "I can't leave you to your own devices, this is dangerous!"

"Not so much, girl," he replied easily. "I have knowledge of the peasant's ways, remember?"

This statement hushed her to silence. She remembered the stories that the Fire Lord in front of her relayed when they visited him the last time. He had built his Leadership by making alliances with other Daimyos, but he lived a good part of his life wandering the lands like a _rônin_.

"Please, Ieyasu-sama, promise you will go to Konoha," she begged. "We can protect you; the Hokage will dispatch an escort team--"

"I know that, girl," the Fire Lord smiled as he placed a straw hat on his wrinkled face. "I've been in Leaf more times that you will ever realize," he added. "Now, go back. I want you to light my boy's pyre. It is already set."

"I--Ieyasu-sama!" Sakura exclaimed in shock.

"Sakura, do that for me, please," the Daimyo lifted his hat briefly, eyes flashing with unshed tears. "The Will of Fire will bring peace to his soul."

The pink-haired kunoichi nodded, blushing as she tried to control the emotions bubbling in her heart. "Hai... I will do as you ask, Ieyasu-sama."

"Thank you, my child," he whispered. "We will see each other again. Tell Uzumaki to remember his Chuunin Exam story when we meet again."

"Hai."

"Remember, child. The Will of Fire is the main drive for all of us, ninja or civilian, noble or peasant."

Watching his retreating back, she sniffled for a moment and shot back towards the Palace, her Inner personality already claiming for violence.

Running silently through the corridors and deserted hallways of the Fire Palace, she found the Mourning Chamber rather quickly, located on the opposite side of the battleground. A number of torches lit the place; the Firstborn's body was already set for the cremation rituals.

"Tsuyoshi-kun," she whispered, grabbing one of the torches and thrusting it harshly onto the gathered oak branches. "May the Gods and the Will of Fire bring you peace..."

Watching absentmindedly how the flames engulfed the wrapped boy, she allowed her fists to clench in anger.

"As for me," she vowed fervently, wiping her tears. "I hope you won't mind a little bit of ruckus in your honor."

Gathering chakra to her hands and running towards the window in the main room, she gasped when she noticed how Shisui was down and the blue-skinned man was about to deliver the last blow.

"Like hell I will allow you to touch my friend!" she bellowed as her fist drove into the wall, making it explode under her strength. "Why don't you mess up with someone your own size, asshole?"

The tall swordsman looked up from his prey and cackled. "Are you talking to me, chibi girl? You must be kidding!"

Performing the teleportation jutsu, Sakura appeared next to Shisui, startling her blue-skinned opponent slightly, who jumped back while he surveyed her suspiciously. Thrusting a green-glowing hand on her Uchiha friend, she snarled.

"Don't you know that the appearances can be deceiving? You of all people should know that!"

"Che, the chibi girl has claws," the ninja sneered, his pointy teeth flashing threateningly. "Girl or not, I think my Samehada will taste your chakra and I'll enjoy tearing you apart!"

"_Nigero_, Sakura," breathed Shisui urgently. "Kisame's sword eats chakra!"

_Shit_.

"Really now," she growled. "Let's break some stuff then!"

Slamming her fist on the ground, the force of her punch made the very earth shake under their feet, unbalancing all the fighters on the field. Suddenly, a rock spike shot out of the ground, making Kisame leap away to avoid it.

"Ah! You must be the Hokage's apprentice!" the former Kiri nin laughed derisively. "I'm so going to enjoy killing you, little girl!"

"If you catch me first, fish-face!" she snarled savagely, her hands flying in a series of hand-seals. "Breezing Spring no jutsu!"

Uchiha Shisui watched in awe at the spot where Sakura used to be as she teleported away. Staggering to his feet, he activated his Sharingan one more time as he tried to detect the medic's presence around the unexpectedly still blue-skinned ninja.

Suddenly, Itachi landed next to him, clutching at his shoulder.

"Are you OK?" Shisui asked. Itachi grunted. "I was almost done for but Sakura saved me."

"The medic did this?" the younger Uchiha asked, with a little incredulous hint in his tone. "Why is she not with the Daimyo?"

"I don't know. What about your opponent?" Shisui asked.

"He went away," Itachi answered harshly. "We need to retreat. The Palace will be destroyed at this rate."

In a whisper, Sakura flickered into view with two kunai in each gloved hand, smirking dangerously.

"You know, fish-face, I kinda hate it when someone underestimates me," she snarled as she stabbed the still man on his wrists in a wide but accurate motion. The action broke the illusion and Kisame hissed in pain.

"Bitch!" he roared, dropping his sword. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Tell me something new, sushi-pack!" she yelled back as she leapt backwards, hands flying again. But just when she was about to call out her technique, a gray-clad form appeared in front of her.

"Take a break," Itachi whispered, his eyes swirling rapidly. Kisame fell unconscious under his genjutsu, while Shisui wobbled up to them.

"Why did you interfere?!" Sakura questioned angrily. "I almost had him!"

"He was gathering a bunch of chakra," Shisui replied on his cousin's behalf. "He was surely going for taijutsu if Itachi hadn't stopped him."

"We are retreating," Itachi's stern voice took a steely undertone. "I'm sure my little brother and Naruto-kun can finish off that Rock ninja. But you," he added, turning his head to glare at Sakura. "You need to answer a few things."

"Wha- I'm not leaving without my teammates!" she yelled, but a hand closed around her neck, shutting her up effectively.

"We are going to need of your healing skills soon, medic," Itachi said in a harsh whisper. "Stop being such an annoying hindrance."

She growled deep in her throat, and she was about to snap back at him when a huge explosion blasted near them, crashing them onto the Palace's walls. A crack signaled the spot where the two Uchiha and the pink-haired kunoichi landed painfully. Shisui and Itachi recovered fast enough, but the elder cousin gasped when his eyes took in the slumped form embedded on the wall.

"Sakura!" he called out. "Itachi, we need to get her out of there!"

Emerald eyes opened slowly as gloved hands glowed with blue chakra. "Goddamn it!" she hissed angrily, slapping her hands on her surroundings and pulverizing the edges that trapped her body, freeing herself and landing with a choked curse next to them.

'_My back took the main damage_,' she thought worriedly. Surveying her own wound, she deemed it light enough to heal it later.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Shisui asked, his face showing how genuinely worried he was about her. "Are you hurt?"

She straightened up, hissing softly when her back cracked audibly. "Nothing I can't handle later."

"Where is the Daimyo?" Itachi asked curtly, watching how she brushed the pebbles off the skin of her arms carefully.

"He escaped through a hidden passage," she said. "He should be on his way to Konoha by now. He disguised himself to pass for a homeless elder. He ordered me to go back to light up his son's pyre."

"How clever of him," Shisui smirked in amusement. "So I guess the smoke we can see on the other side of the Palace is the Firstborn's pyre?"

"...Hai," she answered, closing her eyes to avoid more dizziness, raising a torn glove to her head.

"Sakura-chan!" a voice broke through her haze. Opening her eyes briefly, she could make out an orange blur running towards her, followed by a blue one. "Sakura-chan!"

"Naruto," she breathed with a wan smile, feeling his arms wrapping around her. "Are you okay, Naruto, Sasuke?"

"Yeah, we're just a little singed by that asshole's clay bombs," he replied hurriedly as he maneuvered her to his back. "Come on, we have to flee like a bat out of hell!"

"Kakashi-sensei," they heard her call softly, eyes clenched in pain. "I'm not leaving without him."

"I'm here, Sakura," he answered from between Sai and Yamato, who served as human crutches for the seasoned jounin. "We are all here."

"Good..." she said before passing out.

-X-

Sakura woke up a little while later, feeling the large leaps Naruto made while carrying her on piggyback.

"How far until a safe point?" she asked the blond.

"Sakura-chan! You're awake!" he exclaimed, glad to hear her regaining her bearings. "Are you OK?"

"I should be the one asking you that, Naruto," she replied fondly. "Is everyone alright?"

"We're a bit rough around the edges, but we are fine enough," she heard Yamato's voice saying. "Good thing I can't get poisoned that quickly."

The medic-nin raised her head frantically, searching for the ANBU operative. "Are you poisoned?!"

"No, no, Sakura-san, I'm perfectly fine," Yamato replied hastily with a smile. "Kakashi-senpai is unconscious though."

"Let me down, Naruto," she ordered. "I need to check on Kakashi-sensei."

"Not until we arrive to a safe location," Sasuke countered. "Ani-... Itachi-san ordered a non-stop retreat."

Naruto blinked in surprise when his pink-haired friend let out a frustrated growl but didn't retaliate.

Luckily enough, the Uchiha brothers landed the first near a cave in the middle of nowhere. Sasuke signaled to the others, and everyone got inside the cave without leaving a trace.

Getting off Naruto's back, Sakura dusted her hands and looked at Itachi's onyx eyes angrily.

"Yamato, cover the entrance," Itachi ordered. "Sasuke, build a muted fire. Shisui, try to dig a water source. Sai, post some of your ink sentinels outside."

Sakura rolled her eyes when Sasuke flew to do his brother's bidding. Approaching Sai and his charge, she helped him lay Kakashi down on the mossy ground. "Sharingan overuse, why I'm not surprised," she muttered in annoyance. "Sai-san, be a doll and bring me some water, yes? Yamato-san, come here please."

With a glance to his nodding Captain, the Mokuton user covered the cave entrance with growing vines quickly and went to the medic. While she surveyed her team leader, the pale young man drew one of his scrolls and scribbled the form of three snakes, which slithered towards the covered entrance and coiled on its branches.

"I want you to tell me what you perceived about Kakashi-sensei's opponent," she said with a strained tone as she poured a great deal of chakra into her team leader's chest. Suddenly, she gasped and raised her eyebrows in horrified surprise. "He has an internal hemorrhage--shit! This is the same wound I saw on the Firstborn! Kakashi, wake up!"

Her eyes roved anxiously over her sensei's body as her hands pushed more green energy onto his chest. Sai came back with a little bowl of water, which she grabbed hastily and placed one of her hands on it, only to curse again as she brought her hand to her mouth, pulling off her glove with her teeth.

"Come on, Kakashi, don't you dare to go into cardiac arrest or I'll kick your ass into next century!"

She forgot about everything else, so intent she was with her task. She didn't notice Sasuke sitting next to her and Naruto to her other side, supporting her with their mere presence. Naruto grabbed the bowl and held it on his hands.

"We are here, Sakura-chan," he said soothingly. "We are in this together."

"Heat up that water, Sasuke," she said without taking her eyes off her patient. "I need to bathe and disinfect his wound."

Before the raven-haired jounin got the opportunity to get the bowl from Naruto, Shisui kneeled next to them and blew a little flame on the water, warming it effectively.

"There you go, kid," he said with a little smirk. Naruto passed the bowl to Sakura, who placed a bare chakra-laden hand over the steaming water.

To the ninjas' surprise, the water molded itself under her chakra's action into a bubble, hovering and trembling under her palm. Bringing said bubble to Kakashi's chest, she pushed the water onto his wound. The Copy Ninja arched slightly, but her chakra worked restlessly to close and mend his injuries.

After a while, she could sit back with a heavy sigh. "He's out of danger now," she said, lifting her brilliant eyes to Yamato's. "Come here and let me look at you."

"I'm fine, Sakura-san--" he started to say, but his own Captain beat him into the punch.

"Haruno-san commands the medical field, Yamato. Do as she says."

Properly told off, the shinobi submitted to the pink-haired kunoichi's ministrations. Sai came next, Naruto after him.

Her chakra was dwindling now, she could feel it. Finishing healing Naruto's scratches, he looked at Sasuke.

"You're next, Sasuke," she said. Said male crossed his arms, returning her glare.

"I'm fine, Sakura."

"Don't be a whiny child and get over here," she said tiredly. "I'm almost out of chakra."

"I said I'm fine, Sakura, don't be so annoying."

"Since you feel so unscathed, Sasuke, then I will take your turn," Itachi cut in smoothly, walking up to the medic. "My opponent hit me on my shoulder. Will you heal me?"

Sakura's eyebrows shot up in surprise when she heard him asking her for her skills ever so politely. Nodding dumbly, she watched him take a seat on the floor and pull off his ANBU vest slowly, in order not to disturb his injury too much.

She gasped nonetheless when a little river of blood trickled down his arm. "Fuck!" she swore softly, pressing one of her hands as she motioned Naruto to bring her another water bowl. Shisui assisted the blond once again with the liquid's temperature, looking at his cousin worriedly.

"What the hell did he hit you with, Itachi?" he asked. The alluded male closed his eyes as he felt the medic's proceedings on his shoulder.

"My opponent, Tobi, had curved kunai."

He didn't need to explain further than that.

"It's a wonder you kept your arm functioning, he almost hit your cephalic vein," Sakura commented absently as she mended the torn tissue under her hand. "The muscle is cramped but I can soothe it after you rest the healing and absorb my chakra into your system."

"Alright," he responded. "It is your turn now."

She turned her head. "What?"

"Your back took a great deal of damage when you crashed into that wall," he said patiently. "Heal yourself."

She smiled dryly. "I can't, I used all of my chakra."

"Then tell me what to do," Itachi shot back, not paying any heed to the surprised gasp that escaped his little brother's mouth. "I won't allow our medic to be in pain when she healed us all so thoroughly."

Emerald met glittering onyx, making her realize he was serious. He was darkly amused for some reason, but he was serious.

"It's okay, Uchiha-san, I can rest and rebuild my chakra--"

"No. Tell me what to do."

"It's probably nothing--"

"Come now, Sakura, humor him," Shisui said with a smirk, taking in the thunderous scowl that his youngest cousin had. "Is there anything we can do?"

Turning her head to look at the elder Uchiha, he flashed her with one of his disconcerting smiles. She sighed heavily and unzipped her own green vest.

"It's possible that you might see a swell on my spine," she started to say as she placed her vest on the floor and used it to cushion her chest as she lied down slowly. Her red shirt was a bit singed, tattered and dirty, but then again none of them were all glamorous after that humongous battle. "If the swell is over my spinal cord, it would be better if we wait for me to replenish my chakra. If it is presented in another part--"

A large, warm hand placed itself softly on her back, cutting off her medical ramble.

"What else?" she heard Shisui asking. "There's no swelling on top of the spinal cord."

She sighed in relief. "Good... then... ah, where is a Byakugan user when I need it! There are a lot of pressure points around the spine. Maybe you can numb my back until I'm able to heal it properly."

The hand retracted its palm, leaving her feeling only the fleeting fingertips, which danced over her shirt-covered back, pressing gently around her injury, tapping the correct pressure points to numb and block her pain. Sakura relaxed briefly under the hand's ministrations.

"Is this correctly done?" a deep male voice asked softly. She turned her head and saw no other but Uchiha Itachi sitting next to her, his hand on her back.

As if summoned by the clash of their gazes, a dull flush spread on Sakura's face.

"...Yeah, I'm fine now."

"Good. Rest now, Shisui and I will stand watch."

Feeling thoroughly flustered and utterly confused, she could do nothing but obey his polite... request. It didn't sound like his known commanding tone, but something entirely different.

What she didn't know was that a certain Uchiha was having the same puzzled thoughts.

'_What the hell?_'

-XxX-

**AN:** Sorry for the wait, guys!

Regarding Sakura's supah-powers, there's nothing to be amazed about. She is a _jounin_ for God's sake, and I'm sure that her training with Tsunade (still going on as you can read) got her a few nice tricks under her sleeve. Just bear with me for a while, yes? She is not a superhero; she's just the strongest kunoichi in the world, besides Tsunade. That _has_ to count for something, ne? This Sakura doesn't have any qualms to destroy anything, no matter how massive or sacred, in order to achieve her goals. Chew on that for a while, haha!

Once more, much love to Sometime.Usagi for her lovely beta, insights and booiiiiings! xD


	7. Jóga

**Chapter 7: ****Jóga**

The trek back to Konoha was punctuated by Naruto's incessant chatter and some remarks from the pale ANBU member, Sai, who did everything in his power to annoy the blond shinobi with his bland tone and outrageous observations. Although his Captain didn't seem to mind Sai's prickly attitude towards the elements of Team Seven, Shisui and Yamato tried to stop Naruto's angry yelling in order to have some peace.

But the breaking point came thanks to Sakura, who proceeded to deck the White Op while she smiled sweetly at him after she punched Naruto.

"One more word and I'll see personally about your return to Konoha on a stretcher!"

Shisui snickered at her short temper, but her Uchiha teammate seemed upset with her tirade and tried to call her to attention, but the angry emerald glare directed at him did the trick.

"For once, I would like to come home without a pounding migraine," she seethed with a hiss. "So I'll appreciate your silence until we reach the Fire Temple, at least!"

The elder Uchiha exchanged glances with his cousin, smirking in amusement under his mask. Such a spitfire, the kunoichi was. Even her own Team Leader didn't voice any protest to her scolding, surely because he wasn't off the hook with her just yet due to his lack of regard for his own injuries.

But everything changed when they reached the Fire Temple. A hawk messenger addressed to Kakashi relayed the urgency for them to get back to Konoha as soon as possible.

Therefore, the trek transformed into a race. The good thing was that almost all of them were already healed enough to push themselves to their limits, so two days later they arrived to their beloved village hidden within the leaves... just in time to get home and dress up in their mourning clothes.

Sarutobi Asuma, former sensei of Team Ten and leader of one of the Nijyuu Shoutai, had fallen against one of those accursed Akatsuki members, specifically the one Kakashi had fought against in the Fire Palace.

When Kotetsu greeted the arriving ANBU and Jounin Teams with the sad news, Sakura looked at Naruto in alarm, only to set off hurriedly with an unintelligible curse. And when Shisui asked him about her sudden departure in a whisper, it was their dark-haired teammate that answered their questionings with a low voice.

"Asuma was Ino's, Shikamaru's and Chouji's sensei."

Itachi watched her running at top speed to her friend in grief, before muttering the dismissal for his team and disappearing. It would be time to ponder the walking contradiction that Haruno Sakura was later on, when the funerary rituals were over.

And he found her indeed, wearing the customary black dress and serving as a human crutch for a crying blonde girl. She was crying as well when the Hokage said the panegyric for the fallen shinobi, but her eyes showed a great deal of frustration, sadness and rage behind her silent tears.

"Itachi," Shisui whispered at his side, dispelling him of his reverie. "Your father is looking for you."

With a curt nod and a hidden sigh, they retreated from the funeral as a ruby-eyed woman laid a bouquet of flowers next to the newly engraved headstone.

-X-

Sakura sighed heavily. Between her shifts at the hospital and training with the Hokage or her assistant, she almost hadn't had the time to sit and ponder about the happenings of those two weeks.

After Asuma's funeral, Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino had set out to vanquish the bastard that brought his beloved sensei down. Kakashi had insisted on accompany them, but a back-up from Team Seven with the addendum of Yamato from the ANBU corps, served to face off Hidan and Kakuzu, finally retaliating for their transgression and freeing the Land of Fire of those two scoundrels.

Of course, Naruto and Shikamaru had a great part into doing this. She and Sasuke only fought to protect an exhausted Team Ten and Naruto, who was trying out a new technique. In the end, Naruto shone because of his new jutsu, while Shikamaru nullified his opponent single-handedly. That placed Team Seven on a little stall, because Naruto's new technique came with a price to pay and Sakura found herself with a difficult case and a rambunctious and whiny patient. It was good to know he was okay, but that didn't stop Naruto's teammates from scolding him severely because of his recklessness.

That brought her to another train of thought. Sasuke had been behaving even more harshly than ever since the mission they had with the ANBU team, mostly because his cousin didn't stop bothering him with little but sarcastic remarks. She had tried to be nice to him, but as always, she got a cold answer and his back turned to her. She was accustomed to his arrogant ways by now, but since she had decided not to pine anymore for him, she found his behavior to be quite irritating.

But that didn't stop him from visiting Naruto the days he was in the hospital, keeping him company him even when the blond couldn't use his arm to eat his beloved Ichiraku ramen. Sakura had dropped by, watching in amusement how her team leader fed a thoroughly disgruntled Naruto while he kept bickering with his Uchiha teammate. With a kiss to his whiskered cheek and a chocolate bar slipped on the orange pants pocket, she bid goodbye to her team with a hasty excuse. She just didn't want to be near Sasuke when he kept narrowing his eyes at her.

When they talked about that particular topic over tea, Ino had considered that Sasuke was just pissed because of his lost opportunity to shine like he always did, but somehow Sakura didn't agree. That mission took an emotional toll for all the parties involved with the Fire Daimyo, because of the bonds they shared in the past with the kind and brilliant old man. She thought that Sasuke's anger was more directed at his own family, namely Shisui and Itachi, who kept stealing the spotlight in everything they did.

Sighing again, she stretched her arms before stepping out of the hospital. It had been a slow day, mostly physicals and revising lab tests from her patients, so the pink-haired medic felt more bored than tired. Maybe a quick workout would erase her laziness?

"Sakura."

Turning her head to the voice, she found her dark-haired teammate leaning against one of the pillars that composed the fence around the hospital.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked, not really expecting him to answer her. But to her surprise, he did.

"I was waiting for you," he said with a shrug. "The idiot is out of commission and Kakashi is nowhere to be found. Let's spar."

A pink eyebrow rose in disbelief. "Really now. Why don't you wait for Naruto to get better? I don't want to be a hindrance to your training."

Something told her she was being too much sardonic with her former crush, but her patience regarding him had worn off at some moment on that mission to Fire City.

"Don't be stupid. You need the training."

"And you want to do me a favor, right?" she replied, passing the hospital gates and starting to walk down the road. "Go find Lee or Neji, I won't spar with someone who keeps thinking that I'm nothing but weak."

Sasuke flickered in front of her, stopping her. "I don't want to fight them," he said in an arrogant voice. "I want to fight _you_."

She smiled condescendingly, but her smile slipped off when she realized he was serious.

"Why would you want to fight me?" she asked incredulously. "You know my moves already."

"Apparently, not all of them," he said, his hands on his pockets. "My cousin does nothing but praise your skills every single time I see him. So I want to see what he saw."

She snorted. She should have known that Shisui's teasing was starting to annoy Sasuke.

"Fine, Sasuke," she said, feeling her inner persona cheering loudly inside her. "I'll fight you."

Oh, how she wanted to wipe off that stupid smirk off his face with her fist.

-X-

Twisting her hair into a short bun, she made her way towards their training grounds behind her teammate. She wasn't above making him see how much she had progressed under the Hokage's tutelage, but a part of her warned her about showing all her techniques to a Sharingan user.

"How do you want to do this?" she asked the spike-haired male walking a few steps in front of her. "Taijutsu only or ninjutsu as well?"

"The full battle," he sneered over his shoulder at her. "I'm curious about what you did to save Shisui from that Akatsuki guy."

"Is all what you wanted to know? It was just a genjutsu, Sasuke."

"Don't be stupid, Sakura," he said arrogantly as he turned to see her, having reached his location. "My cousin wouldn't be so surprised if you distracted an Akatsuki member with 'just a genjutsu'."

"You can ask him again," she said easily, enjoying briefly the soft breeze that rustled the clearing and their hair. "Or maybe you can ask your brother about it, I'm sure he saw part of the fight."

Oh, there it was, the narrowing of his dark eyes.

"I won't ask him anything," he said haughtily, but without taking his stance. "Show me."

Pulling on her gloves slowly and taking her sweet time to do so, Sakura lifted her emerald gaze to his. "Okay," she said cheekily, disappearing as soon as the word left her lips.

Watching him turn around frantically from her hiding spot, eyes wide in surprise, Sakura rolled her eyes. What had happened between the Uchiha brothers that she was paying the price of their disgruntlement?

The whole matter was getting ridiculous, that was for sure.

Sliding her fingers on a series of hand seals, she called a genjutsu on the clearing and started to run towards Sasuke. Unluckily, the young Uchiha discerned her strategy.

"Kai!" he yelled, pivoting to face his pink-haired opponent with his hands raised. She flashed next to him, kicking his shin to make him lose his balance as her body twisted and delivered a roundhouse kick to his back, effectively sending him straight to a tree.

"Damn it," she cursed under her breath when she saw Sasuke somersaulting to avoid the impact, dashing towards her with his kunai poised to the plunge. Ducking the first slash, she felt the other cutting a piece of her shirt but she didn't care. Suddenly, the fight turned serious and she was hell-bent on proving her worth, not only to Sasuke, but to herself.

A couple of sparks greeted the clashing of their kunai, as she saw the Uchiha's dark eyes burning with anger. His strength was about to make her slip from the kunai parrying, but with just a little molding of her chakra she managed to break out and back off his form.

"Why are you so angry?" she asked, panting slightly. He merely snorted derisively.

"Why should I be upset?" he scoffed. "Weren't you eager to show me your skills? Then do so."

"Why you little--" she hissed, stomping the floor with her foot and creating a mass earth wave that could have crushed her opponent if he didn't leap onto the air to avoid it. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing is wrong, forehead girl," he smirked from his spot, mid-jump. "I never thought I would use my Sharingan with you, but it seems that in that matter, Shisui wasn't kidding."

"That's it!" she yelled, leaping in an attempt to reach him. "I'm so going to kick your sorry ass, Uchiha!"

"I'd like to see you try," he sneered, blocking her kunai and grabbing her ankle, hurtling her towards the earth harshly, hearing her pained grunt when she crashed onto the ground. "It's a nice thing that I don't need to hold myself, isn't it, Sakura-_chan_?" he added haughtily, landing softly next to her. "After all, you can heal yourself."

Sakura lifted her right foot and brought it swiftly to Sasuke's stomach. "You. Are. Really. Pissing. Me..." Only in the last nanosecond she allowed the chakra to pool on the sole of her booted foot, sending her dark-haired opponent sailing to the other side of the clearing. "Off!"

Getting up in a crouch, she saw him wiping his mouth and watching his hand. But when he raised his eyes to meet hers, she almost recoiled. Sasuke's Sharingan was glinting with wickedness, or so that's what she thought.

"I'll grant that you're strong, Sakura," he accepted, his feet starting to walk slowly towards her. "But you will never be at my level. Accept it, you are made for stand back and just watch."

She let out a deep, frustrated growl. "Is that what you think, Sasuke? Do you really think I'm that useless?"

"But of course," he said lightly, taunting her. "Although I personally think you'll be more suited to housekeeping more than the profession you chose. Why are you a kunoichi again, Sakura? It wasn't because you wanted to be near me?"

"Shut the hell up, Sasuke!" she screamed at him, fist glowing with her chakra. "You don't know anything about me! You don't know how hard it was for me to endure everything until now! You know nothing!"

"You don't have a Kekkei Genkai, Sakura, or enough stamina. Your genjutsu is weak, your taijutsu is pathetic and your ninjutsu is nonexistent. And without your chakra you are good as nothing. Tell me, why do you keep going?"

Not paying attention to her heart and Inner Sakura's enraged wails, the pink-haired medic closed her eyes and summoned all the chakra she could focus on her fists.

"Because you and Naruto are my walls, the walls I need to climb to be acknowledged!"

Her furious scream reverberated throughout the trees, but a deep rumbling soon took over as her fist connected with the ground again. Sasuke leapt onto the air again, but a mass of spikes shot out of the earth, cutting his jump and hitting him viciously.

"Don't you dare to enumerate my faults because you don't want to see and admit yours, you conceited prick!" she yelled, panting in emotional and physical exhaustion, dropping to her knees while she held her side. "You are goddamn jealous of your brother and your cousin; you crave recognition as much as Naruto and I do! Don't you dare to stomp over my abilities because I can do things you will _never_ do, Sasuke!"

"You will regret those words, stupid girl!" he exclaimed finally, getting on his feet and flipping a kunai, running towards her with his Sharingan ablaze.

Suddenly, a leg swung onto his stomach, sending him to the ground once more. A pair of sandaled legs came into Sakura's vision field, as a hard, cold, deep voice broke the silence.

"A shinobi that doesn't acknowledge his teammates' abilities is nothing but despicable, Sasuke."

Raising her eyes, she recognized the black, long sleeved shirt with the Uchiha clan crest on its back. A long, thick lock of tied raven-colored hair swayed with the wind, making Sakura realize who was in front of her, who had _protected_ her from Sasuke's attack.

Uchiha Itachi looked calmly at his furious brother as he scrambled to his feet. "Explain yourself, Sasuke."

"I don't have to explain anything to you, _aniki_," the other Uchiha snarled angrily. "This is between her and me. Team issues that need to be worked out."

"You are lying, Sasuke. I watched the entire match. Sakura won the spar fair and square and yet you went at her with killing intent."

Sakura's eyes widened at his back. It was the first time that Itachi had said her name without those polite suffixes, and a shiver crawled down her spine when she heard it pronounced with his smooth, deep voice. She almost missed the fact that he was accusing his own brother of trying to kill her. Almost.

Her heart clenched as she understood Sasuke's look of rage as he charged towards her. If it weren't for Itachi, she could have been stabbed by her own teammate.

"I wasn't trying to kill her!" she heard Sasuke defending himself, but his outraged tone gave away the lie.

"Yes you were," Itachi shot back smoothly. "You are so bent on besting me that you forgot who your opponent was."

Sakura felt Itachi stepping aside, finally allowing the young Jounins to look at each other. Sasuke's crimson eyes faded into black as he stared at Sakura's huddled, disheveled form. She was clenching her leg and her side, staring back at him with a hurt look.

"Sakura..." he whispered, his eyes shrinking in surprise. "Kami..."

Then he whirled around and fled the clearing, leaving Itachi and Sakura alone.

The medic hissed in pain as she tried to move her leg to raise her body.

"Allow me to help you."

Snapping her gaze from her leg to the voice, she found the ANBU Captain crouched in front of her, watching her with an unreadable expression. His tone though, was low and soft, almost light. Sakura felt her cheeks go warm and lowered her head, trying to concentrate on her leg.

"I'm... I'm fine, Uchiha-san," she tried to save face by whispering politely. He said nothing as she pulled her gloves off and her bare hands surveyed the damage she sustained when Sasuke hurled her to the ground.

"Your ankle is sprained."

"It's okay... I can heal it," she murmured, immersing herself into her healing task with trembling hands. Itachi's presence was enough to make her nervous, especially after those looks that had passed and the animadversion that had been going on between the two of them.

Her chakra-laden fingers were skimming the swollen area when she heard him release a soft sigh. Looking at him, she noticed that he was looking at the sky, his onyx eyes reflecting the clouds on the blue sheet above them.

"I apologize on my little brother's behalf, Sakura-san," he said clearly. "He is not in his right mind at the moment."

"What happened between the two of you?" she blurted out, flushing in embarrassment when his dark eyes slid to meet hers. "Ah, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

"It is alright, I do not mind," he replied lightly. "Sasuke fell under our cousin's teasing and he is merely jealous of the attention that Shisui has upon you."

"...What?" she gaped. "Sasuke is jealous of Shisui-san?"

"It seems so," he nodded. "Shisui finds this utterly amusing, but this outcome surely won't be so pleasing for him."

Somehow, the tone he had used made her think that Itachi himself wasn't so amused with Shisui's jokes. This made her release an unladylike snort, the whole issue was so utterly _ridiculous_ and insane to her that she could do nothing but laugh.

Bending her neck to hide her face, she let out another hysterical chortle as her hands restored her injuries, trying to hide her sarcastic mirth from the ANBU Captain in front of her.

"I'm--" another muffled laugh, "I'm sorry, Uchiha-san," she sighed deeply to calm herself down. "It's just that this is... completely absurd."

He said nothing as she poked her ankle and surveyed the healed area with a wry smile on her face.

"Naruto will go insane if I he finds out about this," she commented in a whisper. "I was going to check on him but I think it wouldn't be wise now."

"I take that Naruto-kun is healing satisfactorily," he said calmly, to prove that he was actually listening to her. She glanced ad him and flexed her leg, proud of her own self-healing handiwork.

"Yes, although Tsunade-sama said that his arm sustained a pretty bad injury," she nodded noncommittally. "It would be a while until he's in a top shape once more."

"I see," Itachi said, extending his legs as he stood up. A shadow fell on Sakura's leg and when she looked up she froze.

Uchiha Itachi was offering her his hand to help her stand.

His eyes were guarded; she could see that this whole situation was a little off-putting for him, but his lips were relaxed, not a smirk or a frown was shown on them. His face was carefully blank, but soon his eyes softened slightly when she raised her hand and placed it on his extended one.

Exercising all the strength on her good leg, she stood up and placed her other foot lightly on the ground. Carefully shifting her weight, she checked that her ankle was completely healed. Nodding in approval, she walked two steps backwards, only to realize that her hand was still enclosed within Itachi's.

While Inner Sakura screamed and fainted inside her head, she slipped out from his grasp nonchalantly, her cheeks burning. It was a good thing that she wasn't looking at his face, because his eyes showed an amused glint for a moment.

"Is it completely healed?" he asked, hearing her clearing her own throat.

"Uhm, yes, I think I can walk around without supports," she replied softly. "I'll just head home and put a hot water bottle over this just in case."

"So your chakra didn't heal it completely," he stated, "for you to need other elements to soothe the sprain."

"No, it's just that the adrenaline is wearing off and I will limp for a little while, and my chakra is almost out."

Sakura saw, to her complete inward surprise, how his eyebrow lifted minutely in scrutiny.

"I thought your medical techniques were capable of performing such a small procedure."

Sakura closed her eyes as she refocused the last of chakra on her injured foot to numb it, smirking sarcastically. "I can _reattach_ lost limbs, Uchiha-san. Healing a sprain is like a walk in the park for _any_ medic-nin."

A corner of his lips tilted in a slight smirk. "If you say so," he replied easily.

She huffed as she swiveled her body on her legs easily. However, a sudden growl from her stomach made her flush with embarrassment.

"I apologize, Uchiha-san," she said as she covered half of her face with a hand to hide her mortification. He merely let out a soft snort as he turned and started to walk away.

"There is no need to apologize, Sakura-san," he said smoothly but she picked up an amused tilt on his tone. "Come."

"Eh?"

Itachi looked at her over his shoulder. "You will need to keep walking that ankle. We do not want it to cramp itself, am I right?"

She rolled her eyes and started to walk carefully, not even noticing that he had slowed his pace to allow her to walk at his side.

-X-

But she gaped quite openly when he stopped in front of a tea shop, to his inward amusement.

"Uchiha-san?" she called to the man that was before her. "What are we doing here?"

"We are going to have dinner."

She sputtered softly, watching in complete astonishment how he pulled the shoji door of the tea shop and looked at her pointedly.

"The place is not of your liking?" he asked, smirking ever so slightly as her face flushed crimson when she lowered her eyes and took in the state of her clothes and hair.

"I... er... I think I'm not dressed--wait," she stilled, narrowing her eyes warily. "What are you doing?"

Itachi merely glanced askance at her, keeping the curving of his lips in check in order to see when the little pink spitfire would explode as he had seen before.

She found herself staring at a pair of glittering onyx-colored orbs, as her cheeks kept her blush at full swing.

But just when she opened her mouth to say something, missing how he had tilted his head minutely to strain his hearing in case she whispered her comeback, the owner of the tea shop stepped near the door.

"Konbanwa--oh, Itachi-sama, welcome!" she said, bowing deeply towards the Uchiha Heir. Impeccable manners kicking in, he turned and bowed towards the elder lady.

"Konbanwa, Oba-han," he spoke smoothly, turning his gaze back to the still shell shocked pink-haired kunoichi. "Table for two, please."

"Of course, of course," the woman smiled and bowed towards Sakura, not seeming to mind her ripped and dirty attire. "Welcome, Ojou-sama. Please follow me."

Sakura's feet moved on of their own accord, not even noticing that Itachi had stepped aside to allow her entrance before walking inside and sliding the door shut softly.

As they slipped their sandals off and took their seats, Sakura regained her wits enough to blink and scowl openly to the Uchiha ANBU Captain.

"Why are we here, Uchiha-san?"

And he just was expecting her comeback to retort. "For the sound of your stomach it seemed you were in need of nourishment. I am merely providing it."

She lifted an incredulous set of eyebrows, eyes wide. "What? You're _buying me_ dinner?!"

"Not only for you, actually. I feel rather hungry myself."

Itachi held back his mirth as she spluttered again in shock. The owner of the shop, mistaking her gasp for a choke, scurried to their table and placed a glass of cool, fresh water in front of the medic.

"Ojou-sama, please drink this!"

Sakura obeyed mechanically, downing half of the glass as she blinked repeatedly.

"Are you feeling better, Ojou-sama?"

"...Hai, hai, thank you."

"I'm glad!" the elder female smiled in relief and placed the menus on the table, bowing once more. "Make yourselves at home!"

Itachi lifted his eyes from the medic to the old woman for a moment. "We will have Sencha tea, please, Oba-han."

"Of course, Itachi-sama. Coming right up."

Finally alone, surprised emerald eyes set themselves on openly amused pools of black.

"Why are you doing this?" she finally asked.

"Take it in stride, Sakura-san. I recommend you the sashimi here. It is rather good."

She fell silent, staring at him with her mouth agape for a long moment. The lady chose that moment to appear back to their table, placing the cups for the tea and the porcelain kettle.

"Here you go, Itachi-sama. It's a pleasure to serve the Heir of the Clan and his lady friend!"

Sakura hid her burning face behind a hand, missing his small, amused smile.

"Can you give us another moment to decide?"

"Of course, of course!"

"Don't mind her, Sakura-san," he said after they were left alone again. "She's been a friend of my mother's for a long time now. She has been always like this."

"Okay," Sakura finally said, gazing cautiously at the ANBU Captain sitting in front of her. "First, you defend me from your brother. I can accept that, even if it's a rather bizarre concept. Then, you drag me here to have dinner. I can also accept that because I'm hungry and now I want sashimi. But how on earth did you find me in the first place? How did you know that Sasuke and I were at the training grounds?"

He merely smirked faintly at her nonsensical babble, his eyes narrowing with hidden glee. Itachi certainly didn't expect her to recount his stunt like that.

Her unpredictability on certain things was turning really intriguing for him.

Recalling briefly how she had smiled sweetly at his Operative, Sai, to punch him rather viciously afterwards and sending him several feet back, he allowed his chin to rest on his hand, staring back at the pink-haired medic as if in deep thought.

But what came out of his mouth, however, threw her out of the loop once more.

"How is your ankle?"

"I'm fine. Please answer my questions."

Oh, so the frowning kunoichi couldn't be fooled by changing the topic. _Very well_.

"I was looking for you," he said smoothly. "Shisui relayed his little teasing with my brother to me and I figured he had gone to challenge you. The rest is obvious. You fought, I watched."

"That's it?" she said in disbelief. "And where is that cousin of yours at the moment?"

"I assume he is still nursing a blow to his face."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise at his sardonic answer, letting out a rather unladylike snort. Covering her face with her hands, she proceeded to laugh and giggle uncontrollably. Waiting patiently for her to finish laughing, he perused the menu, locating his dish of choice in an instant.

"Oh Kami, that Shisui-san is going to be the death of me," he heard Sakura sighing, her laughing fit subsiding slowly but surely, but the sarcastic look the Uchiha directed at her made her laugh again.

He didn't say anything, contenting himself with taking small sips of his tea while she laughed her head off.

"Alright, I'm cool--oh Kami," she sighed again, sampling the tea with a delighted hum. "Regarding of the fact that this... this..."

"Hn?"

His hum signaled that he has been paying attention, even if his face was hidden behind the menu. The lady came back solicitously when he lifted two fingers.

"I will have _tempura tonkatsu_. My companion will have _tataki sashimi_."

This time, she didn't mind that he had ordered for her, more preoccupied with the chaotic thoughts in her head. Some of her puzzlement must have filtered to her face, for Itachi leaned back and stared at her.

"One of your most befitting features is that you always speak your mind, Sakura-san. I do not see why you shouldn't do so now."

She sighed deeply, lowering her gaze.

"I'm just... confused," she tried to elaborate. "Why you, of all people, went through all this merely to apologize on Sasuke's name? I'm sure you have better things to do than to have dinner with your little brother's teammate."

"You are wrong, Sakura-san," he replied easily, keeping silent when the food was served and resuming when they were left alone. "I am not dining with you in order to make it up to you on my little brother's behalf. He made a mistake and I am positive he is aware of the repercussion of his conduct by now."

"Then why you--"

"I found rather interesting the fact that you stood up to my brother, even if he had been nothing short of unpleasant with you," he cut her off smoothly. "If anything, I am grateful because you saved my cousin's life, back at the Daimyo's Palace. For a person to stand up against an opponent that is larger and stronger like you did..."

She leaned forward just a bit, expectant.

"It was an extremely foolish thing to do."

Sakura scowled dangerously. "Why, you--"

"I am not finished, Sakura-san," he said, silencing her once more, continuing his analysis between bites. "You managed to do something that we as special operatives are advised not to do. You stood up against an Akatsuki member and protected a teammate, even if the odds were completely against you. In that order of ideas, I ask you this. Why did you put yourself in danger when Shisui, as a Sharingan wielder and one of the most skilled of the Uchiha Clan, could knock that nin out with a genjutsu of his own?"

She stopped clenching her fists, remembering the past joined mission with the ANBU Alpha Team. Itachi was detailing every single little change on her face, which went from annoyed with anger to thoughtful, finally settling in wry cynicism.

"I... I honestly don't know why I did it," she finally said, watching how his calm face drew into a mild frown. "Shisui-san was in danger, from what I could see from the Palace's window. I just moved, and I was already angry because of your order to stay put and Ieyasu-sama's request for me to set his son on fire. I suppose I just... snapped."

"And regarding this snap, as you have labeled it," he replied readily, waving lightly his chopsticks. "Do you realize that you could have endangered the entire mission if you got killed? You were our only medic, no matter how capable you are, and nevertheless you were fighting against the Akatsuki like if they were merely a pack of rogue ninjas."

Sakura lifted a brow, now totally annoyed. "Your point being? Don't you have someone teach in ANBU that the best thing about teamwork is to protect your comrades, even facing a certain death?"

This time she got a response from the Uchiha Heir. He left his chopsticks and leaned forward, staring quizzically at her annoyed face.

"Do you really believe that, Sakura? Do you follow the teamwork rule and help your teammates even if they are guiding you to the abyss?"

"If they're guiding me to a _mistake_," she countered, drawing her brows together, "I'll help them to get out of their incorrect mindset. It's all about protecting our precious ones, growing together to walk the path side by side, not following them around like lambs going to the abattoir."

He was silent for a moment, processing what she had said. "And yet you have been sheltered by your own teammates, enduring belittlements from them and following their shadows as if you were not capable of stand at their sides."

She smirked sarcastically. "As for my penchant to let them do all the work, I have my own reasons to do so. And not all my teammates are Uchiha, only Sasuke enjoys criticizing me."

"He is a fool," he intoned coolly, ignoring her jab and setting his chopsticks aside once more. "He had had this obsession with proving himself to our Chichiue for far too long."

"That's because you don't see that he also wants _your_ approval!" she hissed lowly. "He's regarded as one of the most valuable Jounin of the whole village, and yet he doesn't get enough credit from _you_! Can't you see that he looks up to you?"

"He should not do that."

His cold and detached statement made her stare at him in surprise, but he didn't elaborate, settling himself to resume his dinner without any more words. Sakura was about to say something else, but his clammed up façade told her that there was something more about Sasuke's disgruntlement with his older brother... and his father.

They finished eating in a mildly uncomfortable silence.

-X-

They left the restaurant with polite compliments to the owner.

"Thank you for the dinner, Uchiha-san," Sakura finally said. She was still nonplussed for his sudden withdrawal of the little argument they had been sustaining over tea, but her manners kicked in and she felt necessary to follow her protocol.

"No thanks are needed, Sakura."

His curt answer made her wince. Maybe he was a cold prick, but at least he wasn't like her Uchiha teammate, who liked to call his best friend derisive nicknames.

But his words also made her realize that he had dropped the suffix from her name. Again, a little blush colored her cheeks, but she didn't comment on it.

"Uhm... I think it's my cue to return home," she continued. "It's my turn to bring breakfast tomorrow to my team's training."

He didn't say anything, but when she started to walk, he fell into step beside her.

"Uchiha-san?" Sakura asked.

He didn't acknowledge her.

"Er... Uchiha-san?" she repeated, hoping not to be rude with him by calling his last name like that, especially after such a delicious dinner.

But once more, he did not move his eyes from the road ahead of them.

"Uhm... Itachi-san?" she changed the tactic, and to her surprise a response was achieved.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?" she asked, narrowing her eyes when realizing his trick.

He merely slid his eyes to her for a moment, returning to the road wordlessly. She sighed, following him and wondering what the hell was with him.

It didn't take much, though. When he stopped, she realized that he had walked to her apartment. A little tic made her eye twitch, but Sakura figured that it was part of the little stunt he was pulling.

And then, the fact that the Uchiha Heir had just walked her home hit her with the force of a ton of bricks. The pink-haired flushed crimson, leaving her with no other thing that walking to the door hoping that he hadn't noticed her face resembling a tomato.

"Thank you for walking me here, Itachi-san. You shouldn't have bothered."

"I do not mind," he replied calmly. "I trust your Hahaue won't be so worried for the state of your shirt."

She turned her head so fast that she swore her spine cracked. His eyes were composed, staring back at hers patiently, like he had no other thing to do than seeing a grumpy kunoichi home.

But to his hidden puzzlement, said kunoichi smiled wistfully.

"I thought Shisui-san had told you," she said softly as she fumbled inside her pouch for her keys. "My parents passed away due to that bout of diphtheria a few years ago."

After a moment, he inclined his head in a respectful nod. "I am sorry for your loss, Sakura. I did not know. My cousin failed to share that piece of information with me."

"It's understandable, not many people fell at that disease outbreak," she replied quietly, pulling her key out of her pouch. "I think only the relatives knew who got sick."

"So Sasuke failed to share other pieces of information with you," he said, lifting his gaze to her balcony. "Our very own Hahaue fell under the onslaught of that disease."

"Oh..." she whispered, lowering her eyes. "I... I didn't know..."

A breeze rustled their clothes and hair. The silence now was loaded with sadness, and for the life of her she couldn't explain why on earth Sasuke hadn't said anything about his mother's passing.

"I'm so sorry, Itachi-san," she finally murmured after a long while, gathering all the courage she could to raise her gaze at him. He was still staring upwards, but the sincere tone of her voice made him look at her with a little bit of bewilderment within his dark orbs.

"Thank you."

She drew her eyebrows and let out a little, uncertain smile. Itachi nodded again, turning to leave.

Sakura sighed again as she entered her home, her thoughts swirling chaotically in her mind. Just... how much more Sasuke was hiding from them?

Naruto and Kakashi needed to know about this.

-XxX-

**AN:** Alright, peeps. You should be aware by now that Sasuke is not my cup of grace as of late, especially due to recent manga chapters. I am very disgruntled at Kishimoto right now, and this is showing on my writing. I can't say I'm not having fun, because I'm having a total blast with this story. Regarding the Japanese dishes they had for dinner, a little bit of Wikipediaing would explain them to you.

No Shisui in this chapter, sorry about that. But still he got spotlight by his little teasing to Sasuke-chan. –grins with sadistic glee– Someone is going to reprimand him, I think...

Regarding the treatment for the lady at the restaurant, _ojo-sama_ means young lady in a respectful manner, whereas _oba-han_ means middle-aged lady. _Oba-san _/ _Oba-chan _/ _Baa-chan_ are synonyms, but Naruto's excess of usage of this term when addressing Tsunade prompted me to look for other words.

Again, I feel that Itachi is still kind of OOC. However, and as one of my readers pointed out quite accurately, the behavior he's displaying is part of how he was when he was in Konoha, before he met Madara and defected the village. Since this is an AU story and the massacre didn't happen, I'm jumping over the character's personality and creating part of it by making up their growth within the series timeline. I hope you understand my meaning later on then the story gets heavy. 8D

Thanks for reading!


	8. Kiss Me GoodBye

**Chapter 8: Kiss Me Good-bye**

-X-

Plopping her tired self on the chair, Sakura groaned as she lifted her arms in order to stretch them. Her shift had just ended, leaving her rather moody and with no chakra to soothe her own pounding migraine.

She hadn't seen the Uchiha Heir in four days, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before they would cross paths again. Frowning, the pink-haired medic closed her eyes and remembered how bad Sasuke had reacted when Naruto had confronted him with that little piece of information she found out during her outing with Itachi.

Like a cornered animal, the young Uchiha had lashed out at his two teammates, no matter how she tried to reason with him and no matter how Naruto tried to beat his words into his head. Yelling at the top of his lungs, he had remarked quite cruelly that his family was not a topic of discussion between them, because Naruto was a forsaken orphan and Sakura was just a pitiful, sheltered little girl.

His behavior was completely out of line and out of character, but his words had dealt, once more, a sharp painful blow to her and Naruto. Kakashi didn't say anything, but he had told them that as long as his performance in missions was acceptable they shouldn't intrude upon matters that were beyond their jurisdiction.

She had understood, of course, but Naruto was the most hurt from Sasuke's introversion and nasty comebacks. And Sakura didn't forgive the Uchiha for addressing such hurtful words to the friend that had been with him in the good and the bad moments of his life.

Inner Sakura's opinion about the whole matter was spot on. '_No matter how much we care about him, he won't care about us._'

It was painful, but the truth always came at the point of a knife.

Sighing deeply, the medic opened her eyes, feeling a certain dread weigh on her senses. A sharp knock on her office door startled her.

"Come in!"

The door opened, allowing access to a person she had seen, but never spoken to.

"Are you Haruno Sakura?" the man asked in a cold, detached voice, so much like that of his very own firstborn son.

She stood up swiftly, bowing deeply towards him. "Yes, Uchiha-sama. Please come in."

Uchiha Fugaku was a man in his fifties already, with a quite a few white hairs mingling with the rest of his coal-colored ones. He surely looked his age, especially with that deep frown curving his mouth as he surveyed the little office with an open gesture of aversion and arrogance.

"What can I do for you, Uchiha-sama?"

"I have come to talk to you, Haruno-san," the man started, not minding the mute invitation from her to take a seat. To Sakura, it was an open act of arrogance. "I have been informed of certain... encounters you have had with my son."

Sakura stared at him in shock. "...Uchiha-sama, Sasuke is my teammate--"

"I am not referring to Sasuke, girl. It is of my knowledge that you have an... _association_ with my eldest son. You sure know that Itachi is the most prized asset of our Clan."

The pink-haired medic nodded meekly, clearly taken by surprise by the man.

"That is why I have come, to ask you to leave my son to his own devices, namely his missions and his family. He does not have the time for pointless liaisons."

Sakura's eyes went wide with shock. She couldn't believe what the man was implying, and the Clan Head continued as if he hadn't seen her reaction.

"It is most important that my son stays focused on his missions and his duties. He is the Heir of the Uchiha Clan; I'm sure that this fact alone must have attracted your attention, especially for someone coming from a civilian family."

Emerald eyes narrowed dangerously and her face reddened at the blatant insult, but Sakura wrapped her inner persona under a leash before snapping.

"Therefore, I feel that my son's time is being compromised by your... relationship. I have been informed of your current situation, and we would be most pleased in helping you with your studies and the maintenance of your home. This, of course, means your discretion and your distance would be appreciated."

Sakura's mental leash over her temper got loose when she saw the faint sneer on the old man's face.

"Uchiha-sama," she began in a low voice. "Know that your son isn't in any sort of liaison with me. Neither of them, actually. My mother always taught me to respect my elders, but the way you just addressed my departed family was both rude and disrespectful."

Striding from behind her desk and opening the door, she completed her lashing out.

"I am the Hokage's apprentice and the third kunoichi in the whole village. I have no need of financial assistance, as you might find upon further investigation of my background. Good afternoon, Uchiha-sama. I shall not impose you of my presence any longer."

"How dare you, little girl--" the man started to say haughtily, but she was far too mad to pay attention.

"I dare, Uchiha-sama. No one has any right to badmouth my family, as you can understand. Family is such a precious thing, am I right? We need to treasure our beloved ones, even after their passing. Have a nice day."

Without waiting for him to step out of the office completely, she slammed her office door violently. She was trembling with such rage that she almost started to destroy her own workplace.

How dare that goddamn Uchiha! Sakura seethed inwardly. How dare that decrepit man to imply she was nothing but a gold-digger? How dare he to accuse her of taking up his firstborn's time like she had nothing else to do but bother their precious Uchiha Heir?

Oh, they had done quite enough already, she decided, opening her door and stomping her way out of the Hospital to the Hokage's Tower. It was time to tell her shishou about how nice the Clan leader was towards her apprentice; maybe she could tell off the man, at least, although she really doubted that was the case.

Izumo saw her approaching and waved, directing his wary eyes to her frazzled appearance. She appeared as much tired as she felt, but all signs of weariness were completely forgotten in her anger.

"Tsunade-sama wants to speak with you," he said with a nervous smile. Sakura merely nodded and kept climbing the stairs, intent on her destination.

But as she entered the Hokage's office, she knew that something was off.

"Sakura, what have you done?" the busty blonde said with a worried shake of her head.

"What?"

-X-

"_What?!_" Sakura shouted in utter anger. Tsunade knitted her eyebrows in displeasure at her apprentice vocal rage.

"Keep your voice down!" she ordered sternly. "You knew better than to piss off the Uchiha Clan Head, Sakura! It was obvious that he wanted you to lose control. Now that you did, he filed a complaint against you, to_ me_."

"_What_?!" her pink-haired pupil repeated dumbly. "He was the one who sauntered into my office and started insulting me and my family! Tsunade-shishou, this is outrageous!"

"As outrageous as it is, I have no other choice but to take you off of the active roster," the Hokage said with a scowl. "I want you to lay low for a while; Fugaku will forget everything in a few months and then you can go back to your team--"

Sakura paled so suddenly that her mentor feared she was having a heart attack. "Are you... _firing_ me?" she asked in disbelief. "After all I've done to the village, you're going to dismiss me?"

"Don't be stupid, Sakura!" Tsunade snapped angrily. "I'm suspending you, not firing you!"

Sakura clenched her fists, feeling her nails imbedding deeply in her palms.

"Haruno Sakura, Jounin of Konohagakure," Tsunade declared firmly. "Hereby you shall be suspended from your duties as a medic and kunoichi until further notice. Shizune, get this in the log and withdraw Sakura's name from the mission roster."

The Hokage's assistant nodded grimly as she exited the office, leaving mentor and apprentice alone. Tsunade sighed heavily.

"I had no other choice, Sakura; you need to understand that having the Uchiha as enemies is not wise," she said tiredly. "I want to protect you from them, that's why I'm suspending you instead of a public scolding. They were going to retaliate for sure if I let you go like last time."

The young kunoichi said nothing, so full with mortification and humiliation.

"Sakura, please understand," Tsunade said quietly. "I know this might sound horrible, but I rather have you safe at home than targeted by that old Uchiha prick."

"Is..." the pink-haired young woman whispered, her eyes fixated on the floor. "Is that all, Tsunade-_sama_?"

"...Yes."

Pulling the hitai-ate from her hair, Sakura walked and placed the plated red cloth on the Hokage's desk.

"I'll take my leave then," she murmured, bowing to a frowning Tsunade, who nodded stiffly.

"I'll let you know when you can come back," she answered, but her distressed pupil was already closing her door.

-X-

She just couldn't _believe_ it.

It was so unfair to be punished when other person was the offender. Especially, when this offender had snubbed her most precious memories.

Her mother, her father.

For someone who had loved and lost their beloved ones she certainly knew how to honor their memory. Being such a successful ninja was the main matter of pride for her father, and the story of how Sakura had cut her hair with a kunai to defend her teammates was one that her mother loved to hear repeatedly. She had sustained that this episode was the first step in Sakura's path to independence in a world of males.

This of course, brought such an adorable scowl on her Otou-san's features, prompting her Okaa-san's mirthful laughter. Their parents were happy, although they chose not to fear for their daughter's safety when she was out on missions.

They trusted her, and this had meant the world for the young and only kunoichi of their little family.

Sakura's steps were heavy with regret and anger. She felt so overwhelmed that she almost missed the last step of the stairs, stumbling blindly onto the road.

She needed to destroy something. She was so upset that she felt like crying and throwing a fit in front of everyone, but her inner personality stopped her from doing so. It was better to have a nice breakdown alone, in the privacy of her home; she wasn't going to let anyone see how the Uchiha had won.

Dull green eyes blinked at the street. Most of the passersby were already gone, the night starting to spread the mantle over the village. Sighing heavily, Haruno Sakura started to walk, not noticing that someone had spotted her and was making his way to her.

But the person stopped when she lifted her head and took in two figures in front of the very same tea shop she had gone with the Uchiha ANBU Captain. Itachi and Sasuke were engaged in deep conversation, or at least Sasuke was talking and Itachi was listening intently. To an outsider – Sakura – it seemed like both were sharing a familial moment and they wouldn't appreciate someone barging on them.

Only then, the magnitude of her suspension took her senses by surprise, stumping her to an abrupt halt of her feet.

She couldn't be with their teammates anymore. She was as good as done for.

Inhaling deeply, she turned and fled, gritting her teeth to avoid her tears falling in the middle of the street.

Sensing her distress and watching her running away like she had seen a ghost, Uchiha Shisui frowned deeply. His eyes had detailed the lack of hitai-ate tying the roseate tresses in place, but for the life of him he couldn't pinpoint what had happened to the pink-haired medic to flee from his cousins.

...Maybe he would have to find out by himself.

Uchiha Shisui was a curious person, after all.

-X-

It was silly really, how she could achieve new levels of brooding than Sasuke wouldn't dream of reaching.

Naruto, ever the most precious and loyal of her friends, had found out about her suspension and went to throw a tantrum of epic proportions to the Hokage, only to have his body sailing over the village like a kite out of control.

Awful for Shizune, who was the one that went looking for his battered form in order to bring him back to Tsunade, Naruto kept cursing and shouting about his sister's unconventional and unfair punishment, and therefore making the whole village find out about what needed to be kept in secret.

But thankfully, the blonde Hokage had foreseen the Uzumaki's stunt. In fact, she had been expecting him to create a ruckus. That way the Uchiha would find out faster, thanks to the gossip grapevine.

This brought a parade of people to Sakura's door. Almost all of them asking what had happened to the usually obedient (albeit grumpy) kunoichi for making their Hokage so mad that had earned her sorry self a suspension.

Slamming the door to more than one of her friends' faces, Sakura decided that these times were the worst of her life.

And to top her mood, Sasuke hadn't sent any word of support nor had come with Naruto and Kakashi to visit her.

She was going _insane_, locked within her home. Usually she didn't mind being at her house on a day off and whatnot, but knowing that she didn't have anything to do with her punishment, along with her restlessness for the inactivity made her a woman with a very nasty mood.

Cleaning the house didn't help, certainly. She kept bumping either with her parent's mementos or her own ninja equipment, throwing her back down memory lane and keeping her in her sulky, broody state.

Of course, after a week of this situation, Sakura was about to rip her own hair in boredom and distress.

A firm knock on her door brought her from her sullen reverie while she rearranged for the ninth time her medical scrolls on the little shelf next to the sofa.

"Go away!" she said after several minutes of knocking. Figuring it was Naruto again to bring her whatever silly news he felt she needed to hear to cheer her up, Sakura rolled her eyes and strode to the door, intent into delivering a nice bump on the blond's head.

The knocking started again and she felt her eye twitch. "What the hell do y--" she started to say as she flung the door open, but the sight in front of her rendered her speechless.

"May I come in?" said a deep, masculine voice.

Sakura scowled. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

Uchiha Itachi said nothing, keeping his gaze leveled on hers. The pink-haired woman crossed her arms and stood her ground, intent on having the bane of her existence out of her doorstep and her life.

After a minute or so of staring at each other, Itachi blinked.

"Sakura-san."

"What do you want, Uchiha-san?" she all but hissed. "Did you come to laugh at my face or maybe you came to see for yourself about my funny situation?"

"Hn," he said, tilting his head a little to a side. "So it was true."

Sakura smiled tersely. "Rub it in my face, will you," she said in false cheerfulness. "Now, you can go away. Good day, Uchiha-san."

"I believe we had agreed to address each other by first names, Sakura-san," he merely replied in a light tone. "May I come in or do you prefer to have our conversation here for the populace's amusement?"

He never failed to make her gape openly, his unpredictability throwing her out of the loop once more.

"Fine," she murmured angrily, retreating into her home and leaving the door open for him to enter. He did so, closing the wooden panel softly behind his back. Entering the living area, he found the owner of the house sitting in the sofa among a myriad of scrolls and little boxes that were scattered around the table. A glance told the visitor that those boxes were medical instruments and ninja regulated weapons, such as kunai, shuriken and explosive tags.

"I apologize for my sudden intrusion," he said politely. The annoyed female huffed softly, her eyes not leaving the cloth which was polishing the kunai in her hands.

"You can sit over there," she said, pointing a chair next to the sofa. "Are you going to tell me now why you are here?"

The Uchiha Heir eyed her levelly again, to make his way to the sofa and sitting next to the disgruntled kunoichi.

"I have come to ask you about what you don't want to reveal to your friends," he said straightforwardly. "I heard from Naruto-kun that you won't come out of your home. I want to know why."

"You already know why, Uchiha-san," she shot back, narrowing her eyes. "Are you going to insult me as well? I've earned a suspension because of your family and I most certainly don't want to do anything with any of you!"

"I see. Shisui was right, after all."

"What? What does he have to do with this? My problem is with _your_ family, not him!"

"Regardless of your fondness for the idiot of a cousin of mine, Sakura-san, I believe he is still part of my Clan."

"That's it!" she snapped, flicking the kunai to the table, which sailed neatly and stuck to the surface in a perfect ninety-degree angle. Standing up, she rounded the coffee table and placed her fists on her hips. "Why the hell are you here?! You--you, Uchiha! You are nothing but a gigantic pain in the ass for me! You, your brother, your father--and the rest of your holier-than-thou freaking Clan!"

"So you had a disagreement with Sasuke?" he asked calmly. "That could not be, for you have already proven him that you are more than worthy of his time. I do wonder though, the reasons for the Hokage to have suspended you if you both are at fault about your rift."

Sakura gaped, furrowing her brows. "Are you deaf? My suspension doesn't have anything to do with your brother, who I'm going to punt into next year when I see him for being such a prick!"

"Then why were you suspended, Sakura?" he asked directly, looking at her fiery emerald eyes. "A kunoichi of your caliber must be out in the field, not locked up like a caged bird of prey."

"Oh that's so nice of you to say, huh? Get out!" she shouted, pointing at the door. "Your family did nothing but ruin my life, insult my parents and mistreat me for too long!"

Itachi stood up, his thin eyebrows drawing together minutely at the woman's ire.

"I'm sure you can explain yourself better, Sakura," he insisted. "I will not leave until you have."

Walking slowly to her, Itachi saw how she seemed to withdraw her shoulders in an attempt to shield herself from an emotional attack. This was added to his theory, marking what Shisui had said about her when he found her in the street.

"You have been hurt," he said quietly. "I want to know who wronged you."

"And I want you to leave, Uchiha-san," she whispered, taking a step back. Her anger simmered under the sudden desire to put some space between them, her self-protective instincts kicking in. "Please, get out. Ask Sasuke about all this if you want to know that badly."

"Sasuke doesn't have a clue," he responded softly. "He just figures you managed to upset the wrong people."

She took another step back, lowering her eyes and clenching her fists. Itachi easily recognized that reflex. Bingo.

"He's right," Sakura murmured, still retreating. "That is why I'm paying a high price."

Her back pressed against the wall, but still she didn't look at him. Itachi decided to take the matter into his hands, raising a hand.

Sakura almost flinched when he took her chin with two long fingers and forced her gently to raise her head.

Onyx stared into emerald that shone with pure hurt and confusion.

"Tell me, Sakura," he prodded with a gentle tone. "Answer me."

To his inward surprise, she just shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't... I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because... because..." she trailed off when she realized that his face was very close to hers. So close that she could perceive his scent, fresh and clean but so masculine with cedar and spearmint. So close that she could feel the warmth of his body. So close that she could see the depth of his onyx orbs changing slowly into the deep crimson of the Sharingan.

She closed her eyes with a frightened squeak. "No! Please!"

Itachi straightened and dropped his hand. He hadn't realized that his Sharingan had acted on its own volition, activating itself due to his closeness with such a... dangerous woman.

Shisui had confided in him something about that phenomenon, when he related to his cousin his first outing with the eldest daughter of the Inuzuka Clan. It was more a matter of trust than self-preservation, according to the elder Uchiha.

Recalling his friend's words as the pink-haired female opened her eyes to regard him with that familiar blush on her cheeks that made her so becoming for him, the Uchiha prodigy decided then and there to follow his cousin's advice for the first time in his life outside of the battlefield.

Inhaling softly the soft scent of peaches that emanated from her hair and body, Itachi disengaged his Kekkei Genkai without taking his gaze from hers, placed his hand softly on her neck and proceeded to press his lips to hers in an impromptu move that made her gasp.

Unhurried and planned; that was his kiss in that very moment. He didn't take advantage of her sudden intake of air although he very much wanted to do so, engrossed in the feel of her soft lips against his. She had closed her eyes, her body trembling with both surprised nervousness and restraint. Conscious of how much damage her fists could do to him when she regained her wits, he kept his kiss slow and shallow.

But something broke his perfectly devised plan when Sakura emitted a low whimper from the back of her throat, relaxing her lips bit by bit and starting to respond to him, very cautiously, almost shyly.

His hands, one against the wall and one on her neck, slid around her shoulders to pull her lightly to his body.

The kiss, then, began to transform from chaste and controlled to deep and almost frenzied. The kunoichi was so responsive of the nudges and coiling of his tongue that Itachi felt a low quiver in her back. Pulling back, he could see with incensed onyx eyes that she was flushed red, her dark emerald eyes were narrowed in pleasure and her hands were entangled in his own hair. She had responded to her desires as much as he had.

Only then, he understood Shisui's words when he spoke about laying claim on a female. It was so satisfactory that he only could place another quick kiss on her lips before relaxing his grip on her back and waist.

And then she chose to talk.

"Itachi..."

He smoothed her face with his fingertips before pulling back and striding decisively to the door.

"I'll be back, Sakura," he said in a deep murmur that made her flush once more. Exiting her house, back within his arrogant façade, his thoughts only were set on finding out what had happened to her.

And then, staking his claim for all to know.

-XxX-

**AN:** Good lord, this chapter was a pain in the butt! DX

I'm sorry, really, for the long wait. It was so frustrating to write Fugaku after the latest manga chapters that I almost lost my mojo. My muse is certainly not pleased with this chapter and neither do I, but I figured I needed to keep pushing forward if I want to finish this thing this year, haha.

I'll have to let you know though that chapter nine is still in the making. I have a sort of a writer's block with this story, especially since I didn't expect so many people liking it, heh. I had to re-write the next chapter like four times, because I felt it wasn't good enough. I'll come around soon, I hope. And I still feel this story would be stalled for some more time. I apologize in advance, but Manolito The Muse is not amused with the manga events relating Itachi.

Many thanks and love to Sometime.Usagi for her awesome betaings and opinions!

Thanks for reading!


	9. Human Behavior

**Chapter ****9: Human Behavior**

-X-

A thoroughly stumped and dumbfounded Haruno Sakura spent the rest of the week trying to figure out what had possessed the Uchiha Heir to kiss her senseless like he did.

Especially, when he had left in such a – dare she say – hurried and determined manner?

When Naruto appeared that very night with ramen takeout she didn't protest when her blond and obnoxious brother tried to cheer her by telling her how he had pounded Sasuke into oblivion for making a nasty comment about her sanction. Sakura only sighed and shook her head, chastising the foxy ninja half-heartedly.

"Oi, Sakura-chan," Naruto locked her eyes with those bright blue orbs of his in a piercing gave. "Are you okay? You seem kinda...off."

"...Yeah, I'm fine, Naruto," she lied hastily, plastering a fake smile on her face. "I'm just bored to be locked up here."

"But... but we can take care of that, Sakura-chan!" the young man bounced enthusiastically in his seat. "Let's go for a spar tomorrow, just you and me! No Sasuke-teme and no Kakashi-sensei, and I'll even let you break my bones!"

Sakura let out a giggle that escalated into a full-blown laughter, recalling the last time she had punished Naruto by punching him and sending him straight to a massive wall.

Of course, she had healed him afterwards, but the blond had been so sweet for letting her vent by using him as a punching bag that she felt she owed him a ramen treat, at least.

Agreeing to his invitation she strode the streets swiftly, intent on meeting with her brother in order to let out some steam. While it was true that she could train on her own, Sakura didn't know how far the Uchiha grapevine reached. As such, she preferred to perform her katas and meditation in the privacy of her backyard before someone scolded or punished her for training even though she was suspended.

Especially because Sakura wanted to avoid any and all men who answered to the Uchiha surname.

Shisui had slipped a note under her door, saying that while she probably didn't want to see anyone from his family – and how right he was! – he just wanted to let her know that he was checking up on her and offering to help her with anything she needed.

It was very sweet and thoughtful of him, and it reminded Sakura how different Shisui was from the rest of his family. It specifically reminded her of how different he was from the one who was supposed to be her teammate and friend.

Sasuke hadn't dropped by, nor had he asked about her since Naruto told him about her sanction.

Shaking her head, she made her way to the woods well beyond the KIA Monument to the gigantic waterfall that Naruto said the ANBU Yamato had made, knowing that Naruto was probably already there. Sakura decided to surprise him and jumped into the trees, bouncing from branch to branch with her chakra masked towards the rendezvous point.

She arrived at the specified location, only to find two cloaked people cornering a rather anxious and angry Naruto.

Pressing her lips together to swallow her gasp, she surrounded the clearing, trying to get a full view of the unknown and most likely opponents. Covered with black cloaks with red clouds, she realized that these two weren't the average opponents.

Akatsuki.

"So, are you going to come with us or I start destroying your village, hmm?" asked one of them, a blond man with his long hair gathered on a topknot.

"Let the boy make up his mind, Deidara," a raspy voice filtered from the other nin. Narrowing her eyes, she only could make out a rather peculiar figure, short stature with a wide body. Knowing that it was just a disguise, especially with that weird _tail_ that showed from beneath the cloak, she saw the short one advance towards Naruto. "But I don't like to wait for too long. What is it going to be, jinchuuriki?"

To Sakura's surprise, Naruto closed his eyes.

"I'll go. Just... don't harm the village."

"Like _hell_ I'm going to let you go like that!" Sakura flipped, landing behind the two Akatsuki. "What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing, Naruto?!"

"Go away!" he yelled, his blue eyes wide with fear. "These two aren't playing, Sakura-chan! They can destroy the village just like they did to the Ojiji's Palace!"

"Then why the hell aren't you fighting to protect it?!" she yelled back, pulling her gloves on hastily. "Are you going to give up without a fight, baka?!"

Naruto perked up like he had been struck, narrowing his eyes at Deidara.

"I think she's right, yeah," the Iwa nukenin drawled, amused. "But it would be better for us if you're out cold. I could give you a ride inside the beak of my bird, yeah."

Naruto growled, but a sudden explosion beneath him made him activate the springs in his feet. Sakura had stomped the ground, and he knew she was looking for revenge after the episode at the Daimyo's Palace. "Why don't you go to hell, bastard?"

At the other side of the clearing, Sakura confronted her opponent.

"So you are the one that injured Kisame," the short, weird man said emotionlessly. "The Hokage's apprentice."

"In the flesh," she sneered, avoiding a few senbon whipped at her by the strange tail. "Why don't you introduce yourself? I fail to recognize people when they have a mask on."

"Akasuna no Sasori," the nukenin said with a husky murmur. "You have a lot of guts to injure one of the Seven Swordsmen of Mist, kunoichi. You were lucky that someone saved your little life before he maimed you."

"I assure you, I was rather disgruntled for the interruption," she hissed before back-flipping to avoid yet another ruthless attack from her enemy. Rebounding, she launched two tagged kunai. The ensuing explosion was dimmed by another one, that coming from the airborne blond nukenin fighting her fox brother.

"Pay attention, kunoichi, otherwise you'll be dead before you get to see my real face," Sasori said raspily, attacking her with a barrage of weapons. Jumping and deflecting as much as she could, she heard him laughing softly again. "Nice evasive moves, girl. But you are dead already."

"What the fuck do you mean?" she demanded, landing heavily on her feet. The man let out another cold snicker.

"Your face, pretty kunoichi. One of my poisoned weapons grazed you."

"Tch, poison," she spat angrily, wiping the thin drop of blood on her cheek. "Like something like _that_ would stop me!"

Stomping the ground again, Sakura leapt off the rumbling earth as a huge hole broke below her opponent, swallowing him whole. She swiveled her head to check up on Naruto, who was sporting a rather reddish look on his eyes. She gasped, knowing what that meant.

"NARUTO!" she yelled frantically. "Don't lose it! Focus!!"

But as another explosion filled the air, the ground under her gave way as well and a bunch of puppets sprang out from below, attacking her mercilessly. A few gashes later, she landed near a large tree, panting heavily. Something was off with her body; she could feel it. The poison was acting fast enough that her normally sharp reflexes felt dulled, slowed down somewhat.

"Che, and here I thought I could get back at you for what you did to me, little bitch," another raspy and familiar voice entered her head, forcing her to look up at the tree. A large, blue-skinned man was leaning on the trunk, wearing a disappointed frown. "I don't think Sasori would mind if I kill you before he makes a cute puppet out of your corpse."

"Go fuck yourself, sushi-pack," she panted, focusing on the scorpion-like form that was barely hid by the dark Akatsuki cloak thanks to her. "I'm a little busy now."

"See, if you keep saying things like that and you'll be killed in the blink of an eye," the shark-nin reprimanded, shrugging. "If you allowed him to poison you, you are most surely done for. That's a shame."

"What side are you on?" she heard Sasori asking him in a different but still cold voice. Green eyes widened when she took in the form that was slowly unfolding itself from the scorpion puppet. A man with red hair and cold grey eyes was standing up from the puppet's back, as if this was the most normal thing to do in the world.

"Your side, Sasori-san, _of course_," Kisame snickered sarcastically, jumping down the tree and placing himself behind the pink-haired medic. "But as you can understand, I owe this little spitfire for what she did to me. I had to go all the way to Nami to find a medic willing to treat me."

"That does not concern me, Kisame-san," Sasori retorted tersely. "I won't allow you to interfere with our battle."

"Then it's a good thing that there are more opponents to choose from," another deep and detached voice sounded behind Kisame, startling him. Sakura had to admit that the sight of three Uchiha clansmen standing in full gear was most welcome, given the current situation that was almost drowning her in stress and worry.

Kisame snickered loudly, grabbing his sword and jumping straight towards Uchiha Itachi, who merely leapt back in order to have enough room for the impending battle between them. Sasuke looked at her, flicking his gaze towards the blonds' battle as well.

"Go, Sasuke," she said with determination. "He needs you now."

He nodded firmly after a bit of hesitation, understanding what she was saying. '_Don't you dare help. This is my battle_.'

As Shisui shifted his weight from one leg to the other, she clenched her fists.

"Go help Naruto, Shisui-san," she motioned, pinning her opponent with a hard glare as she adjusted her gloves and slipped into a battle stance. "I'll call if I need any help."

"Of course, Sakura-san," he said airily, regarding her with his Sharingan activated. "Make sure you don't take too long."

"I'll try my best," she responded as she lifted her foot once more and slammed it onto the ground at the very same time that Shisui leapt towards Deidara, but suddenly another masked, cloaked nin interfered, ensuing another harsh fight.

"Are you willing to pay attention to me now?" Sasori deadpanned gravelly, sending another barrage of puppets towards her. No matter how many she deflected and avoided, there was always another one behind them to attempt to hurt her.

_Damn_, she thought frustratedly. _If I don't do something soon, I'll_...

She didn't finish her own thought. She was really worried about Naruto, but the battle against the Puppet Master was one that demanded her full attention. The poison was working rapidly inside her system, but she didn't have any antidote she could activate with her dwindling chakra to delay its effect until she went to her mentor.

She figured that Tsunade and Shizune could counteract the poison, but she needed to break out and send her opponent to his merry way first... just like--

A memory flashed through her mind, and Sakura remembered a shotgun mission she did with her team. Sasuke and Naruto were in the middle of the fray, rescuing the daughter of one of the minor Fire Daimyo, when she got cornered by approximately a dozen of enemy nin. Thinking fast and showing them why she was a Jounin, she summoned Kakashi's pack of dogs, unleashing them on her enemies and working with them as they chewed, one by one, their opponents down.

Grabbing her little scroll from her pouch and thanking her foresight to put it in when she was preparing for her sparring session with Naruto, she used a gash on the back of her hand to perform the _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_.

Pakkun appeared accompanied by the rest of the pack, understanding the situation in the blink of an eye. Spreading swiftly like the ninja familiars they were, the powerful canines started to chomp down on Sasori's puppets, while she dealt with others with the sheer strength of her fists as the petite pug disappeared to get back-up.

Sasori didn't seem to acknowledge the dogs; he was so focused on keeping the pink-haired kunoichi in sight as he continued sending puppet after puppet at her. The only thing that could be heard was the clash of metal, great explosions and the dull noises that the empty dolls made when she flung them to the uneven ground.

However, Sakura's strength was waning at an alarming rate. The poison was too ingrained in her system now, and she feared a collapse when she sent yet another wooden doll to the ground. But suddenly Pakkun came back with Kakashi, Yamato and Tsunade herself in tow, along with a large group of shinobi that didn't think twice about jumping ahead and cornering the Akatsuki members.

"Thank Kami," she breathed in relief when Yamato leapt to continue her battle with his early opponent while Kakashi went to assist Shisui with his.

Knowing themselves outnumbered, the four Akatsuki nukenin gathered in front of the Konoha ninjas, one of them speaking on their behalf.

"You did well today in protecting your weapon," a smooth, deep masculine voice filtered through an orange, swirled mask. "Let's see if you can keep a close eye on him in the future. Good day, Tsunade-san."

"What the fuck!" Sakura heard the blonde Hokage shout as the four enemies clasped their hands simultaneously, teleporting away. But the pink-haired woman's senses were dulling more and more as she started to collapse, someone broke her fall gently, cushioning her battered body as they lowered her onto the broken dirt.

"Sakura!" a faint feminine voice demanded, but she was much too dizzy to identify it now.

"Poison..." she whispered, finally falling into oblivion.

-X-

Sakura awoke thanks to the golden light filtering through the curtains. Letting out a groan, she tried to sit up when a deep, familiar voice stopped her from doing so.

"Please don't move, Sakura-san," Shisui said from the threshold of the door. Looking around, she noticed with relief that she was still in her own room. She furrowed her brow in confusion when she looked at the man entering her room with a light bow.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a husky murmur, prompting the man to walk quickly to her and offer a glass of fresh water. She drank slowly, grateful for his help. "I thought you would be in the hospital."

"We were released two days ago," the elder Uchiha said as he crouched next to her bed. "You were still under observation, but Tsunade-sama said it would be best if you were treated in your own home. Shizune-san left a little while ago, after she checked up on you."

Sakura made a noise to let him know she knew what he was referring to. In her soothing and sedate manner, Shizune said it was a nasty poison. Thankfully she had all the herbs to make the antidote. Funny enough, one of them was one Sakura had in her garden. She smiled faintly, recalling what the dark-haired poison expert said when she came for the ingredient she grew at her own home. "So nothing was found on the battleground?"

"Not yet. We've been combing the area, but it's just a matter of time until those bastards show up again," Shisui said with a light shrug and a frown. "Tsunade-sama is so relieved that you and Naruto-kun were okay that I think she forgot about reproving you for your actions."

"Your actions helped save your _nakama_," another voice sounded behind Shisui. Sakura's eyes widened when she took in the sight of Uchiha Itachi leaning on the doorjamb. "It was a good thing you managed to delay one of them long enough for others to realize you were missing."

"But I wasn't missing, I was going to spar with Naruto--" she protested weakly.

"He was called for a mission with us; that is why we had to track you down," Shisui piped in lightly, looking a little bit wary of the sudden narrowing of Itachi's eyes when his cousin locked eyes with Sakura.

"Is either of you injured?" she asked softly, avoiding the younger Uchiha's stare. "You should be resting, those fights surely were harsh."

"Ever the thoughtful medic, Sakura-san!" Shisui said with one of his perplexing smiles. "Do not worry on our account though, Itachi and I are sound. Only you were the one that took the most injuries of our party, since your opponent was the most vicious one."

"Shisui, don't you have to visit someone?" Itachi asked suddenly, startling him. "I heard that Inuzuka-san returned from her mission last night."

Sakura smiled when said Uchiha frowned and colored slightly. "How do you know Hana is back?"

"I have my sources," his cousin shot back with a faint curve of his lips. "You might want to go visit or Tsume-san would consider not giving any more credibility to your courting."

"...Fuck you, Itachi," Shisui growled in annoyance, rising from his place next to Sakura's bed. "I have to go, Sakura-san, I'll come back later if you'll allow me."

"Thank you for your concern, Shisui-san," she intoned in a fond murmur. "Say hello to Hana-chan for me, please."

The raven-haired man startled at her words, frowning, almost _pouting_ comically to the prostrate medic. "I think you should consider applying for ANBU, you seem to pick up on nasty mind manipulations quite swiftly. Ibiki-san would be really happy to have you in his department."

Sakura merely laughed silently, grimacing in pain when the muscles on her stomach protested for the sudden movement. Itachi noticed, but waited for his cousin to depart.

A sudden silence fell on the room after they heard the main door closing behind Shisui, leaving them alone.

"How is Naruto?" she asked.

"He's at home," the Uchiha responded easily, arms crossed over his chest. Still, he made no move to enter her room. "It's been two and a half weeks since the Akatsuki infiltrated the village."

"...Bloody hell."

The man nodded curtly. Sakura sighed, swallowing a groan.

It was silent until she tisked and lifted a green glowing hand, placing it over her own stomach. She noticed that Itachi was still there, watching her carefully examine herself with her chakra and soothing the soreness from her stomach.

"I will be okay now," she said after enduring his heavy gaze for a while longer. "You should be on your way as well. You wouldn't want to be caught in my company."

"And why would I care if someone sees us, Sakura?" he asked smoothly. Her eyes flickered to him briefly before lowering. She felt no desire to spill the full story and relate the horrible moment in which his father insulted her.

"...I really think you should go," she pressed firmly, though her blazing cheeks told another story. Itachi had already noticed her sudden withdrawal. He was almost expecting her to yell at him for being in her house, but this reaction firmly supported a theory that was building inside his brilliant head.

"Alright," he relented after a long moment of observation without her raising her eyes to meet his. "I will leave you to your own devices. However, you are not to leave your bed until Shizune-san or the Hokage says so. Those were her personal orders."

"And since when ANBU Captains are personal nurses to mere Jounin?" she snapped, already annoyed by the heat stubbornly plastered into her face.

Itachi smirked faintly.

"Since I came here to talk to _you_."

Sakura gaped at him.

At the same time, something burst inside her, the anger and the confusion she was feeling since he'd left her that night after that slow kiss, so full of fire and desire.

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" she demanded, sitting up on her bed without even realizing that her clothes had been changed into a large dark t-shirt she stole from Kakashi. The collar was loose enough that her shoulder was bare due to the fabric slipping down. "First you kiss me and then you leave like I was some sort of--just--what the hell are you doing with me? Don't you have a Clan to lead, a fanclub to attend to?"

"I would not know about the fanclub, and I do not lead the Uchiha Clan. At least, not at the moment," he rebuked her words easily and calmly. All the same, Sakura wasn't too keen on having him loitering about in her home any longer. "I want to know what they said while we weren't there."

"Wha--Why?" she asked, watching him warily as Itachi strolled casually to her window.

"The Kiri nukenin said a few things regarding the Akatsuki organization that I need to arrange before drawing a definite conclusion," he explained, looking as relaxed as if he owned her own room. "Hoshigake Kisame taunted me with his Leader being really interested in my skills."

Sakura gaped again, this time more openly. Why he was telling her this?

Itachi glanced at her over his shoulder. She didn't seem aware that she'd voiced her internal question, making her sound concerned. _Worried_.

"I need you to tell me, Sakura," he pressed quietly, leaning on her window. "Something is brewing around Naruto-kun and I'm positive you can feel it. You are his best friend."

"You are wrong," she said in an angry whisper. "I am not Naruto's best friend. Your brother is. I am Naruto's _sister_. And I will do whatever it takes to protect him."

Uchiha Itachi's lips curved slowly in a little smile.

"I did not expect anything less from your bond, Sakura," he answered. "Now, tell me what Akasuna no Sasori told you."

Rolling her eyes openly, she informed him of all the taunts her wooden opponent had thrown her way in the heat of the battle, something about Akatsuki's goals and the absolute conquest of the Shinobi Countries.

A dark glint shone in Itachi's eyes, making her shiver slightly. Sakura sat up on her bed.

"They're after Naruto... because of the Kyuubi, aren't they?"

The Uchiha nodded curtly.

Sakura hid her face in her hands. "By the Gods..."

Everything made sense now, and painfully so. Naruto was the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. Therefore, it was just a matter of time until he was hunted down by the power-hungry nukenin. Her blood ran cold as she grasped the very magnitude of the situation.

Her brother was in unspeakable danger, even in his own village.

"We will do whatever it takes to protect our comrades," Itachi said from his perch on her window, his arms still crossed. "However, if the Elders' Council sees him as a liability to the village's security—"

"_No!_" she cut him off anxiously, her face flushing in frustration, rage and apprehension. "I would die defending Naruto from everyone, even the Council if I have to!"

Itachi nodded. "I realize that. And I'm sure most of your friends would do the same, as would I."

Sakura gasped, staring at the Uchiha Heir with wide eyes. "Why?" she asked. "He's not your friend..."

"He is still a valuable asset to Konoha, and our nakama. I will defend him just because of that."

The kunoichi sighed deeply, trying to control her uncontrolled urge to cry. Lowering her eyes, she realized that he was leaning somewhat awkwardly on the windowsill. His position indicated that he was injured.

"You _were_ wounded," she murmured softly, leaping at the opportunity to change the subject. "Let me see."

"I have been healed by Shizune-san," he said calmly, but already making his way towards her. "It is of no importance."

Sakura was not to be dissuaded; her mind was already set on seeing to his injuries. As he pulled up his shirt, she placed her hands on his torso and gathered her chakra. The effort it took made her wince noticeably. He was well on his way to a complete recovery, but she could 'see' that some of the wounds were sore from his wandering around. Flooding her hands with medical energy, she soothed him smoothly with the passing of her delicate fingers.

"All set," she whispered, not daring to lift her gaze to meet his. "You should rest too; you aren't completely healed yet..."

Two extended fingers took her chin gently and lifted her face to his. Itachi's gaze was intent and somewhat dark with something she couldn't identify, but the intensity in his eyes made her blush.

"I want you to rest," he murmured softly. "We are going to need your skills soon."

"Wha--" she started to say, but the way he trailed his fingertips over her cheek before he stood up and made his way to the door rendered her speechless once again.

"Do not worry, Sakura. We will work everything out."

Suddenly, she felt the need to believe him.

-XxX-

**AN:** Seriously, I'm updating this because my beta cheered me enough to do it. I am not happy _at all_ with this chapter. I just want to get to the main theme of the story, so I'll have to ask for your forgiveness on this half-assed attempt of a chapter. Instead of placing this story on hiatus, I'll try to pull those five chapters left the best way I can. After talking to my beta, I felt it was the best thing I could do; otherwise this would be my first abandoned project.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and if you didn't, I apologize. Sadly, Itachi's outcome in the manga made me lose all inspiration for this fandom. I'm deeply thankful for the attention and the love all of you have given to this little story; I was certainly overwhelmed and I still am. Because of that, I can assure you this fanfiction will be completed. Hopefully, by the end of this year.

I'd like to give my love and many thanks to Rapturesrevenge, who was kind enough to fill in for Sometime.Usagi, who for work-related issues had to step down of the beta position. I love her anyway, haha! The Bunny Lady knows this is mainly for her, so I hope she appreciates this effort, hehe. Give Music Lady a good shout out!

Thanks for reading, anyway!


	10. Come to Me

**Chapter ****10: Come to Me**

-X-

A bang on her door was enough to fill her senses with dread.

_Naruto dropped by the day before, talking to her like everything that happened_..._ well, like everything that _had_ happened _didn't_ happen at all. She understood his silent plea and they spoke about different things, about her training with Tsunade, about his training with Jiraiya, and about Sasuke. Just when she thought everything would fall into a semblance of normalcy, said young Uchiha entered her bedroom via her balcony._

_He came looking for Naruto, of course. The ensuing discussion__ – or argument, rather – between them had Sakura at wit's end. Unable to take their endless bickering any longer, Sakura stood from her bed and proceeded to throw both young men out._

_What was more__ frustrating, she simply couldn't look Sasuke in the eye without remembering how his older brother's eyes seem to darken whenever he looked at her._

"_What is wrong with you?__" he asked tonelessly. His confusion, combined with his blatant rudeness, only served to anger Naruto._

"_What do you think is wrong with her, teme!" Naruto's eyes narrowed with hurt. "She got suspended and yet you didn't even visit her!"_

"_Naruto," she called from her bed, but the blond ninja was too fed up with their teammate to listen._

"_I want her back with our team, you idiot! I really hate the way you treat her! She's a Jounin for crying out loud, and __all you do is belittling her at every chance you get!"_

_And that made Sakura snap. __Standing, she pointed at her balcony, her messy hair clinging to her face and hiding her gritted teeth._

"_Get __**out**__."_

"_Sakura-chan, I'm jus__ –"_

"_I love you __guys, but I can't deal with you right now. Get the _hell_ out of my home."_

"_What is that supposed to mean__?"_

"_What I just said, Sasuke__. If you two are going to fight, then get the hell out of my home. I have enough to worry about already," she said, raising her eyes to his, her scowl turning into a wicked sneer as she spoke. "Besides, you don't want to be seen with a suspended shinobi, right? Your family wouldn't be pleased."_

_Naruto gaped__ in stunned surprise, while Sasuke scowled darkly._

"_You have no right to speak about them__–"_

"_On the contrary, Sa__suke, I have every right. Especially when they think this suspension will stop me from being myself. Go tell your father all about it, go right ahead."_

_Yes, Sakura was _that_ mad. An old, stupid, _stupid_ Uchiha idiot who felt perfectly fine about pulling some strings to have her suspended while taking offense to something only she should have been offended by. A stupid, stupid blind and pigheaded teammate that only felt her suitable to be around when a cool mission was in sight, and a – another stupid, _stupid_ – gah! That stupid, arrogant, idiotic man!_

_Sasuke narrowed his eyes and sto__rmed out of her apartment. Naruto, on the other hand, didn't know if the storm had passed. Sakura lowered her head, not wanting to meet her brother's eyes._

"_Sakura__ –"_

"_Let it rest, Naruto," she said with a hea__vy sigh. "It's the first time I've stood up to him like this, and it won't be the last. I'm sick and tired of this."_

"_I know," he said. "I just don't want you guys to fall apart, that's all."_

And that was the crux of the problem. Two days had passed since then and she hadn't seen hide nor hair of her teammates. Then the sound of someone banging on her front door came, rattling her already frazzled nerves.

Breathing deeply, she opened the door to find the – Uchiha – bane of her existence. The very one who kissed her stupid and showed a hint of gentleness in his gaze the last time he had visited her, confusing her to the point of insomnia.

"Itachi-san," she whispered, eyes wide with surprise. Outside the door, a few passersby lifted a brow or gaped at the sight of the Uchiha Heir at the young medic's door.

"I bear bad news, Sakura," he said in a low tone. "May I come in?"

"Of course, of course," she said hastily, stepping aside to allow him access to her abode. "What's going on?"

"Naruto-kun... has been kidnapped," he said softly, closing her door behind him. She stared at him, trying to process the magnitude of what he just said.

"..._What_?"

He offered her a scroll. "We thought he was safe here," he murmured with a flat tone akin to irritated dejectedness. "Tsunade-sama got the report this morning. Naruto-kun did not sleep in his home last night, and his kunai pouch was on his night stand."

Knowing full well that Naruto simply didn't step out of his home without his pouch, Sakura's eyes went wide in horror and her legs buckled. Itachi caught her before she hit the floor, both kneeling in front of the door.

"Oh my God..." she whispered, hands trembling. "Naruto... and the Akatsuki... no, that can't be... please," she lifted her emerald eyes to meet his turbulent onyx ones, "please tell me he's okay..."

Itachi closed his eyes and shook his head minutely. "I do not know."

A sob broke the uncomfortable silence, as she buried her face in her hands. Itachi had his hands on her shoulders, feeling her emotions rippling and shaking her frame. He just stayed there, not knowing exactly what to do in a case like this. Sure, he had been the 'bad news crow' to other ninja families when a casualty made its way into his subordinates. He had seen how mothers, fathers, husbands and wives broke down when they learned of their loved one's demise.

But now, seeing that she didn't start to wail like others had, he felt a little at a loss.

And nothing prepared him to see her raising her head, her emerald eyes dark with fury and even a bit of bloodlust.

"I need to get him back," she said simply, clutching the scroll he had given her. "I don't care if I'm suspended – he's _my_ brother, and I will bring him back."

His eyes narrowed with blatant approval. "Open the scroll, Sakura," he said in a low, intimate tone that meant a myriad of things. "I'm summoning you for the retrieval mission."

If Itachi had ever doubted that she would participate in this mission, the way her lips frowned hard with determination and her eyes burned with rage – just like he had seen when she fought Sasori of the Red Sands – killed those doubts in an instant. Now, more than ever, he was certain that Sakura would even travel to the depths of hell just to get Naruto back.

"Time of departure, Taichou?" she asked, her gaze back to his. He smirked slightly at the way she addressed him as they both stood.

"Two hours. Go see the Hokage. She needs to speak to you."

Nodding obediently, she waited until he opened the door. "Itachi-san," she said softly. He stopped, and she continued. "Thank you. I owe you one."

"No thanks necessary, Sakura," he said lightly. "But I might take advantage of your offer soon."

She refused to acknowledge the fact that she was blushing as she marched to her room to put her kunoichi garments on and gather her weapons and medical tools.

-X-

Being suspended was the worst thing ever, Sakura thought as she snuck around the Hokage tower, leaping into her shishou's window. The sight that greeted her was her mentor's amber eyes fixed on hers, as if she had known that Sakura was going to come through that way.

She nodded at Sakura and stepped back to allow her entrance to the office, but she didn't say anything until the pink-haired kunoichi slid the glass-pane close and rounded her desk, standing at attention.

Only then, Sakura saw her surrogate mother's eyes. Sunk and hollow, the Slug Princess Tsunade looked as if she was about to break down crying. And she knew why.

_Naruto_.

Only Team Seven and Shizune knew of the Hokage's fondness for the loud, blond ninja. It was more than sympathy for the brat, Sakura had observed, because her shishou had confided her about the loss of her little brother and her lover. The pink-haired medic knew that Tsunade regarded Naruto as if he was her own son, just like she regarded Sakura has her daughter.

It was a matter of bonds, she figured, as her eyebrows knitted in concern for her surrogate mother.

"Tsunade-sama--" she started, but a pale, manicured hand rose to refrain her from speaking. The blonde lowered her eyes to an object in her desk, and Sakura gasped when she recognized her own hitai-ate.

"I have known of Uchiha-taichou's request for you to join this mission," she started, flicking her amber gaze to Sakura's. "I told him about your punishment, but he won't take another medic but you. I don't know what is going on between you and the Uchiha Heir, Haruno, but your penance for your lack of respect regarding a superior such as an ANBU Captain needs to be delivered, now."

Taking the headband in her hand, she presented it to her pupil.

"Bring him back to me, Sakura."

The strain in her voice made the pink-haired female realize how badly shaken her mentor was about this whole ordeal. The _perfect_ excuse had been found. This was her 'punishment' for her insolence towards Itachi not so long ago.

"Hai, shishou," she whispered fiercely, taking the hitai-ate and gripping her mentor's fingers in her hand. "At all costs."

"No, Sakura," the Hokage shook her head with a sad smile, noting the change on her pupil's address of her persona. "I don't want to lose you as well. Just... try your best. Show that idiot Uchiha Fugaku that you are more than he thinks."

"I will, shishou," she smiled with determination, clenching the metal plate on her palm. "This is my promise to you."

A knock sounded on the door announced the arrival of ANBU Alpha team and the remainder of Jounin Team Seven into the office. Kakashi offered Sakura a hidden smile, while Sasuke avoided her eyes as he stood next to his brother.

"The orders are the following," Tsunade spoke in a low, detached tone. "You are to retrieve Uzumaki Naruto from the Akatsuki, taking down as many opponents as possible. The Kyuubi belongs to Konoha; the Yondaime Hokage had ensured that when he sealed that wretched tailed beast into his very own son."

Sakura gasped, while Sasuke stood a little straighter, both surprised by this unexpected information, but the Hokage paid no heed.

"You are to rescue the Kyuubi vessel and the Yondaime's legacy, _alive_. I'm sure I don't need to tell you this is an S-Class mission. The Akatsuki had been a pain in our asses for too long. I want it taken down. I want that organization see of what kind of steel the Leaf is really made of.

"Itachi, Kakashi, you both understand the importance of this. Naruto is to remain alive at all costs, for the release of the Kyuubi will be a disaster for all the shinobi countries. Yamato, I'm counting on you and your jutsu."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," said the brown-haired man with a grim nod.

"The Alpha team has gathered all the intel we have collected throughout the years about the Akatsuki members. I want Team Seven to learn all they can about their opponents. Sakura, I authorize you to unlock the chakra seal if you need to. Sasuke, Shisui, Sakura, be aware of your temper: these are not your regular enemies. These are top criminals, and I want you to think carefully before attacking them."

"But if they want to extract the tailed beast they'll need a considerate time to do so," Sai piped in. Tsunade nodded, furrowing her brow even more.

"It would be perfect if you crash their summoning ceremony," she said. "Kakashi, Sakura and Itachi know the communication jutsu. I'll send Team Gai and Team Shikamaru out behind you when you deem it feasible."

"Hai," was the response of the seven shinobi.

"Konoha won't stand for criminals or demons," Tsunade's voice became lower, harsher with her contained anger and anguish. "Konoha doesn't bow her head to anyone. Make them remember that."

Sakura stretched the red cloth that bore her insignia as a kunoichi and tied it to her hair with a practiced motion. Her heart leapt and sang with wild joy at the familiar weight of the metal upon her head, and her emotion showed in the savage smile that graced her pale features.

Itachi smirked faintly, a gesture that was caught by his cousin and his brother.

"Leave it to us, Tsunade-sama," he said with his deep, professional tone. "We won't disappoint you."

"I'm counting on you."

-X-

Flying through the branches, the seven cloaked figures gathered together as they made their way across the lush forest. It had rained in this part of Fire Country, making the atmosphere humid and grim.

Sakura hadn't said a word since they left Konoha. Alpha ANBU team knew how worried Team Seven had to be, so they left them to their own devices. Sasuke had closed himself from everybody, taking over the Jounin team even though their leader was Kakashi. It was fine with the silver-haired ninja, though. Sasuke practically _radiated_ killing intent, so it was best to just leave him alone. However, the Copy Ninja was more worried by Sakura's silence.

Kakashi didn't know what had happened for Sakura to get suspended, seeing as she was one of Tsunade's right hands. But something was for sure, he concluded when he caught wind of a certain Uchiha Clan Head being severely injured in a sparring session with his very own elder son. The outcome of everything that had been handled by Uchiha Itachi himself was more than satisfactory, in his personal opinion.

"Sensei," Sakura professional voice filtered through his ears. "How are your injuries from your last encounter?"

"Ah, they're fine!" he exclaimed cheerily, rubbing his chest in an absentminded manner. "Just a little sore because of training, but everything is back into place."

"Tch," he heard her scoff, as she jumped onto the tree branches next to him. "Can you be any more reckless? Be careful, Kaka-sensei. Maybe next time I won't be able to save your sorry ass."

"Ouch, let's pray for that not to happen then," he countered easily, knowing perfectly well that Sakura would destroy heaven and earth to save her teammates, regardless of how she fared in the process. He merely humored her grumpy statements because he wanted to let her know he was as worried as she was for Naruto.

And there it was, that glint in her verdant eyes that screamed her restlessness and concern for her brother's wellbeing.

"We're going to get him back," he murmured loud just enough for her to hear, and he was surprised when Sakura's eyes hardened in frustration.

"Can you promise that?" she asked, leaping ahead to get to Shisui's side.

He couldn't, and they both knew that.

-X-

Resting breaks were never relaxing, especially in a retrieval mission, Shisui mused as he accepted Yamato's water canteen. It had been a long journey to Grass Country, only stopping two or three times to refill water provisions and to get a breather. Two days later, they were camping at the very forest line that marked the borders of Fire and Grass.

Team Seven was as silent as they were since they left Konoha, Sasuke looked especially frustrated and angry because of their lost teammate. Only the Gods knew what those bastards were doing to Naruto-kun. Apparently, Sakura had the same thought because suddenly she stood up from the tree root she was sitting on and started to pace around the campsite.

"Try to get some rest, Sakura," Kakashi's voice came from behind the orange-covered book, but his student paid no heed. "This is the last stop before entering Grass Country."

Sasuke's head whipped round with Sakura's to face their team leader. "Why are we entering Grass anyway?" the younger Uchiha asked, narrowing his eyes.

"We need information from an Akatsuki member," Itachi's deadpan voice came from behind his weasel mask. "And we happen to know the location of one of them."

Sasuke stared at his brother, narrowing his eyes. "Orochimaru?"

Sakura groaned when she saw the ANBU Captain nod curtly. "Great. This is just great. As if that stupid snake doesn't already want to give us a hard time every single time we step out of the village, now we're going to pay him a visit of courtesy."

"You've had encounters with him?" Shisui asked, surprised. It wasn't the first time they got wind about Orochimaru's special customs, especially after his defeat in the last invasion. It was truly a blessing that most of the Uchiha ninja were around to counteract the effect of the serpent's summons with their Katon, as well as provide the necessary backup for the ANBU that were supporting the Sandaime. Their efforts had been to no avail, though, because the loss of the Third Hokage was one that still weighed heavily on Konoha's memory. Their only consolation was that most of the village had been saved.

Then there was also Naruto's extraordinary performance in bringing the Ichibi vessel down.

They had been mere children, but Team Seven started its brilliant career by having a blond knucklehead in their midst.

Sakura clenched her jaw and nodded. She wasn't going to tell Sasuke's brother and cousin that Orochimaru wanted to get his slimy, dead hands on the Sharingan, because her Uchiha teammate had bound them to silence. Surprisingly, Kakashi had backed him on that, and Naruto and Sakura just had to comply, much to their displeasure.

Kakashi didn't miss the quick look that Shisui and Yamato shared at Sakura's admission, but just when he was going to say something, she shook her head and looked up to the sky.

"It's getting late."

The rest nodded, and proceeded to pack and clear their resting site. It was time to continue their mission.

However, there was a certain Uchiha that observed the slight glance that Sakura had thrown at his young brother. They were hiding something, and it was obvious that Sasuke had silenced his pink-haired teammate, because that livid look didn't leave Sakura's eyes as she finished putting up her gear together.

...Maybe it was true what he had investigated about Orochimaru, but until he got some more information about what Team Seven knew, everything would only come to a moot point.

-X-

As Yamato's hands clasped together and opened a hole in the ground after they secured a place behind a few boulders, Itachi relayed the plan they had devised.

"We do not really know what Orochimaru is plotting, so I advise you to keep to each other. Yamato and Sai will bring up the rear. Shisui and I will take the lead, and Team Seven will be in the middle of the formation. Remember that this person is not to be taken lightly."

A mutter of "as if we don't know that already" from Sakura was their acknowledgment of his orders, and one by one, they entered Orochimaru's base.

The hideout was cold, dark, and downright disgusting, Sakura thought as they made their way carefully through the maze-like hallways. It was a necessary precaution; a misstep could spring a trap. After all their encounters with Orochimaru and Kabuto, it was a lesson they'd learned quite thoroughly.

"Sakura, Sasuke," Kakashi murmured beside the kunoichi, hands stuffed in pockets. Sakura knew better than to assume he wasn't prepared for battle. "Get in formation for Royale, just in case."

Both jounin nodded. Yamato and Sai noticed how they started to walk outside of the line they were walking, yet within reasonable distance of their sensei. Sakura reached back to her pouch, taking her gloves and pulling them on as they searched.

Kakashi stopped suddenly. "I smell something rotten," he said, lifting a hand to silence his team. The Alpha Team kept silent as he turned his head, searching for the origin of the smell. After he located it, Itachi and Shisui let him take the lead wordlessly. It was better if someone with sharp canine senses like the Copy Nin went ahead.

Sakura and Sasuke followed the two Uchiha ANBU, until they reached a wide, circular hall. Then, everybody could perceive the awful stench. "Kami help us all," one of the ANBU muttered, as they took in the gruesome scene in front of them.

A charred corpse lay next to a Kabuto that was practically drowning in a pool of blood. A little ahead, several wooden bodies were scattered around the hall, but just one stood out of the rest.

"Sasori," Yamato whispered, as the ANBU took off their masks.

"He's dead," Shisui observed. "By the looks of it, it seems that he and Orochimaru killed each other."

"Not yet," Sakura whispered, making her way to the wooden doll that gave her such a hard time in Konoha and almost killed her. "You're still alive, Sasori. I can feel it."

"Maybe," a smooth voice came from the broken puppet. "But I am at my limit. It would be best if you finish me off."

"Not until we got some information," Yamato started, but Sakura leaned onto the puppet and placed her hand onto the red seal.

"Where is Naruto?" she asked with a low, controlled voice. "Tell me and I'll personally rid you of your misery."

A little self-deprecating chuckle came from the fixed-eyed puppet. "Who would have thought that I would be at the mercy of a Leaf ninja, especially such a deceptive-looking kunoichi. You would have made a beautiful puppet, Haruno Sakura. I am impressed you could survive my poison."

Her gloved hand dug into Sasori's chest. "Tell me what I want to know," she pressed in the same controlled voice. "And I'll tell you how I survived."

"It is not necessary. I know you are the Godaime's apprentice. It was just a matter of time that someone broke my poison scheme. How very remarkable. As for your friend, I am certain he is in Amegakure."

"What?!" Sasuke snarled. "Why in Amegakure? Are you trying to fool us, Akatsuki?"

"It is rumored that the Akatsuki main base is in the Hidden Rain," Itachi's voice sounded collected and business-like. "Is that true, Akasuna no Sasori?"

"Indeed," the puppet said with a cold tone. "It is truly a pity that I could not fight you, Uchiha Itachi. And even worse that you did not accept our invitation. Our leader was not pleased with your decision to remain in that weak village of yours."

Sakura's fingers gripped the cylinder that kept Sasori's life with a growl. "Why are you here then? I thought you all were needed for the ritual."

Sasori chuckled again, this time sounding amused. "How significant that such a strong woman holds my life in her hands. Yet again, she is such a walking contradiction."

Sakura scoffed, already sick of the situation. "I'm going to show you another contradiction then," she let go of her grip and stood. "I won't take your life. I won't give you the pleasure, because I don't take lives from defeated enemies. Uchiha-san, he's all yours."

And then she walked away, not really feeling like turning her head when she heard a sword ringing and the sound of steel piercing flesh. But then she noted that Kakashi hadn't stepped over the fallen Akatsuki, preferring to walk to the other fallen foe.

"Kabuto is still alive," he noted. "And the other body is Orochimaru."

"That's just sick," Shisui observed, making his way to examine what was left of the Sannin with Yamato and Sai re-sheathed his ninjato. Sakura, being the medic she was and her calling deep ingrained into her very bones, wandered near her sensei, watching the battered handyman of the man that gave them so many headaches in the past.

"He's poisoned," she intoned softly as she kneeled next to Kabuto and pushed some chakra into his system. "It's starting to shut his organs down."

"You... a medic," Kabuto coughed out. Sakura nodded, watching him carefully. "We... thought you... dead."

"I'm pretty much alive, thanks to my own garden," she shot back with a sneer. "They killed each other?" she asked, motioning with her head at the charred corpse and the puppet.

"...Hai. Akatsuki wanted... Orochimaru-sama..."

Sakura placed her glowing hand around Kabuto's throat. "He's gone now."

"Sakura-san, pl-please..."

"Do you know anything else about Akatsuki and its members?"

"The...journal in...his room."

"It doesn't matter if you're lying to us," Kakashi said as he towered over Sakura. "Your master is dead, and you're about to die as well. You might as well do something to save your soul."

Kabuto nodded briefly and closed his eyes. "Not... lying."

"Very well," Kakashi answered. "Sakura, do you want me to--"

"It's not necessary, sensei," she whispered, raising her hand from Kabuto's throat. "He's gone."

A tense silence settled over them as they realized she had finished the medic-nin off.

"You did well, Sakura-san," Shisui said, as Itachi pushed a scroll back into his pack. A new sword-like injury was on Orochimaru's burnt body, but no one thought to ask them about it. "He would have spent more than five hours of agony if you hadn't."

"I know," she whispered, standing up and reaching for her canteen. "I didn't do it because I pitied him, but because I know how awful that poison is. It was the same Sasori inflicted on me."

Another silence fell over the Konoha ninja, until Itachi nodded to his cousin.

"We need to split up to locate Orochimaru's room. Be careful, we do not know if his demise disabled the traps. Yamato and Kakashi will go to the left hallway. Shisui and Sasuke, go to the right hallway. Sai, use your ink animals to scout the base for other people. Sakura, you will come with me."

Nobody dared to say anything, walking away to comply with the Captain's orders.

But Sakura stared up at the Uchiha, who suddenly looked at her with intense eyes.

"Come."

-XxX-

**AN:** Damn you, Sasori, and damn your character! It was because of him that I was stuck in this chapter. Never again! DX

Again, another half-assed chapter. I'm really sorry, but I'm sick of this story. What happened to Itachi, plus what happened to Kakashi in the manga is making me have a foot outside the fandom. I took a break from this because of my writer's block with this story, but also because I'm pissed at the manga. I don't know why I keep reading it; I guess I'm a glutton for WTF-ery.

Now it's a matter of pride, finishing this thing. I also want to thank to the people who was kind enough to send me private messages and reviews in concern of this story. Believe me when I tell you that I read them all and took your requests to heart; I opened Word almost every day and tried hard to make this work for you guys. Thank you, really. I really appreciate it. I am so, so sorry for making you wait!

Thanks for reading, and I apologize in advance.


	11. I've Seen It All

**Chapter ****11: I've Seen It All**

-X-

They walked in silence through the darkness of the middle hallway, opening doors one by one and checking the rooms.

Something about Itachi's sudden change of mission partners told Sakura that he wanted to talk to her in private. Seeing as they just walked away from the battlefield left by Orochimaru, Kabuto and Sasori of the Red Sands, she figured it was something about–

_Orochimaru._ Damn it all, he wanted to know what happened when Team Seven encountered the Snake Sannin in the past.

Truthfully, she just didn't know why the hell Sasuke hadn't told his brother about those episodes. True, they'd managed to hold their ground against Orochimaru thanks to Sasuke and Kakashi's Sharingan. Despite that, they were barely able to escape until Naruto sprouted some tails and punted the Sannin into temporary oblivion.

Damn, damn, _damn_.

"I know something happened, Sakura, and I know Sasuke swore you into secrecy. Please brief me," he said with that seemingly polite tone that carried a bit of authority, ever so typical of this particular ANBU Captain.

"I don't think I–"

"Sakura," he stopped and turned so fast that she almost collided with his chest. His eyes told another story, though, as they glittered with something more than the intensity they usually showed when he looked at her. "Please tell me. Sasuke is my brother."

She gaped in surprise. Not only because Itachi had just stated the obvious, but also because his voice held a note of something akin to _concern_.

She couldn't keep hiding this from him.

"Orochimaru..." she sighed. "We first encountered him in the Forest of Death. He... he bit Sasuke, marking him with a curse seal. Afterward, Kakashi-sensei performed a counterseal jutsu on Sasuke, but that didn't stop Orochimaru. He persisted in making a nuisance of himself. He always appeared whenever we least expected him."

Itachi narrowed his eyes, clenching his jaw. "What else?" he asked flatly.

"There isn't much to tell. The cursed seal made Sasuke acutely aware of Orochimaru's presence, so we've had always confronted him. Sometimes we won... some others we had to retreat."

The Uchiha didn't miss the way she subconsciously rubbed her upper arm.

"But... Orochimaru is dead now, right? That seal should have disappeared from Sasuke's shoulder; everything would be fine now... right?"

Itachi stared at her for a long moment and nodded, resuming their walk until they reached another door. Sakura perceived that this one was somehow different from the other doors.

"Ita–"

"Yes," he murmured. "Allow me. Take cover, Sakura."

He heard her move out of the way upon realizing what he was about to do. Quickly, he performed some seals, then pressed his hand against the door for a moment before quickly pressing his back onto the wall. A small explosion followed, after which they peered through the smoke lingering in the doorway.

This was Orochimaru's room.

"We found it," he spoke into his radio. "We will rendezvous in ten minutes."

"Let's look for the–" Sakura stopped herself as her eyes fell upon the black bound book that lay atop the table. "This is way too easy," she muttered as she stepped near the table.

"Assuming that Kabuto wasn't lying," Itachi commented as his Sharingan surveyed the item on the table. "It is a regular journal. I cannot see any chakra in it."

"There's only one way to find out," Sakura said as she threw open the cover. Of course, what she discovered inside the journal was less than pleasing.

Itachi blinked in moderate surprise when Sakura groaned in utter despair at the symbols written on paper.

"Hell if we don't break that code soon," she seethed. "Goddamn Kabuto! I should have known his journal was coded!"

"Sai and Yamato are good code-breakers," Itachi offered, but she shook her head.

"This is not really a standard code," she explained, leafing through the journal with a dark scowl marring her face. "It's a medical code. Everything in here can only be decoded by a medical ninja. Damn it."

"If you teach me how, I could help you."

Sakura's scowl disappeared under Itachi's watchful stare. He made a mental note that she looked quite... endearing, when she blushed.

"Thank you."

-X-

When they finally gathered together, Itachi ordered them to make camp. Sasuke was the only one who protested.

"We need to break Kabuto's journal first," he announced, as he sat next to a concentrated Sakura. "Do you have the scroll?"

"Actually, I think we don't need it," she said without lifting her eyes from the journal. "Even if Kabuto invented a code for his notes, there are certain roots to the standard medical codes. He certainly didn't expect another medic to peruse through his things."

"So it is breakable," Shisui asked as he joined them. Sakura nodded, smiling faintly.

"I only need a bit of time, but I can do it," she confirmed, only to let out an unladylike snort. "Who would have figured that Orochimaru was allergic to lactose and regular penicillin. We could have defeated that creepy bastard with Naruto's rotten milk."

Kakashi let loose a laugh. "I'll scout the perimeter."

"I'll go with you, Kakashi-sempai," Yamato offered.

"Explosive-expert, puppet master, suiton-expert..." Sakura mumbled as she delved deeper into the journal, forgetting everything around her.

Shisui smirked as Sasuke sat under a tree in front of them. "Something wrong, Sasuke-chan?"

"Shisui," the cold, veiled warning came from his other cousin, effectively cutting off any barb that the elder Uchiha could have teased the younger with.

A tense moment of silence went until Shisui stood up to join Sai on his patrol, leaving the Uchiha brothers with the pink-haired kunoichi. She didn't notice how Sasuke's eyes narrowed at his brother, and she certainly missed the disapproving frown Itachi directed at his otouto.

"She spilled the beans, didn't she?" Sasuke asked in a low tone.

"Leave her out of this," Itachi said curtly. "I still cannot comprehend how my little brother thought it of little importance to tell me of something as significant as having a cursed seal. I wonder how you managed to hide that from Chichiue."

Sasuke bristled instantaneously. "He doesn't pay any attention to me, thanks to you, _aniki_."

"Oh? I thought I was doing the right thing in sparing you from the demands of the Clan, Sasuke."

The younger Uchiha stood up. "You don't know a thing about me! You don't even know me anymore; you're so wrapped up in your duties as an almighty ANBU Captain! I wonder why they haven't chosen you as the next Hokage, or the bearer of the Will of Fire."

Everything happened fast enough to trigger Sakura's shinobi senses. With a sharp gasp, she started her eyes into the most surprising scene. Itachi was holding down Sasuke into the ground, pulling the collar of his shirt. She didn't realize when the hell Itachi had stood up and gone to Sasuke, but the clipped, angry tones managed to filter through her ears fast enough to understand they were in the middle of a really nasty argument.

"I never pegged you as a jealous child, Sasuke," Itachi intoned mildly as he held the other male to the ground with enough force to subdue any attempt to break his hold as the older Uchiha lowered his upper body to whisper into Sasuke's ear. "You must thank the Gods that Hahaue is not here, for she would have been really disappointed."

"Shut the fuck up!" Sasuke hollered, with his Sharingan activated. "You have no idea of what I feel! You don't feel shit about Hahaue; you don't have the right to mention her!"

"You displease me," Itachi said coldly as he released his brother and stood up.

"Do not touch me, aniki," he snarled as he righted his clothes. "I have had enough of your _superior protection_. I can take care of myself."

"You're a fool, Sasuke."

The younger Uchiha lunged for his brother, but a sudden screech stopped him.

"Stop it! Goddamn it all, stop it, both of you!" Sakura yelled, red in the face thanks to her anger. "Lose your head again, Uchiha Sasuke, and by Kami I'll trank you."

"What is it to you?" he snarled back. "This is not your damn business!"

"You made it my damn business when you started arguing in front of me, you idiot! And I'll not have you brothers fighting about your Mother, of all things!"

"You know nothing about this!" Sasuke hissed, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What, I don't know what it's like to lose my mother? Newsflash, Sasuke: I lost _both_ of my parents to the same disease that took your mother away! And for your information, Tsunade-shishou, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto and you are _all_ I have left in this world! Don't insist that I'm a clueless moron – to my face or behind my back – when the only moron I see here is _you_! You should thank Kami you still have a father and a brother, even if you don't like them!"

"Sakura–"

"Shut up, Sasuke, I don't want to hear it. I'm going to the creek to wash up, Itachi-san, excuse me."

Passing by Shisui and Kakashi, both of whom were stunned into silence, she made her way to the nearby stream. As she left, everyone could hear her muttering curses about the annoying, arrogant and stuck-up Uchiha clan.

-X-

It took a while for her to calm down.

It wasn't the first time that she had lost her temper with Sasuke, but it was the first time she had lost it like this. It was like everything she had bottled up for years just leapt into her mouth. As she sat on a rock on the bank of the creek while she washed her face, she realized that the tension she felt in her chest had disappeared after she gave her teammate, a one Uchiha Sasuke, the reality check of a lifetime. She was still pissed, but that was another matter altogether.

Yet, she was determined to never cry again because of anything Sasuke said. It hurt, yes, but mostly because she still regarded him as a close friend, perhaps in the same place that Naruto had in her heart.

"Sakura-san?" she heard a voice calling to her. It was the pale young man, Sai, who was also coming to the stream to refresh himself after his patrol.

"Sai," she greeted flatly. She was still angry, and it showed. It didn't really help that the few times Sai interacted with the members of Team Seven, he had behaved like an ass.

Calling her an ugly hag certainly played a big part in her general dislike of the guy, but when he opened up to Sakura and Naruto she understood why he conducted himself that way.

Being a former ROOT operative, raised and taught to be a killing machine and not to know about emotions was more than a reason to be an abrasive bastard. He just did not know how to act. Luckily for him, Naruto worked his social magic with him and proclaimed himself as Sai's first friend, disarming the pale ANBU with a true smile and the offer of a real friendship after what happened to his nii-san.

"Are you okay, Sakura-san? You seem... uglier than usual."

"Sai, if you appreciate your delicates hanging where they are, you would be wise not to piss me off more than I already am," she shot back, glaring at the ANBU. "Especially if you're going to be near me for the next hours."

"It's okay. I heard the commotion myself and I... kind of understand why you exploded that way," he said, tilting his head to a side. "Taichou is right; Sasuke-kun is a fool."

"Shut up Sai, you're not helping," she rolled her eyes, standing up again in unconscious hurry to _keep_ moving. She stayed silent for a long moment, staring at the water while Sai just studied her face as her expression alternated between annoyance and distress. "We need to get him back. Kami-sama, I miss my brother."

Something shifted in Sai's face, as he nodded and his lips curved in a little smile. "Don't worry, Sakura-san. We will."

-X-

Nighttime fell over the Konoha shinobi. Itachi had spoken to Kakashi, and both agreed that Sasuke needed to be separated from Sakura for the time being. Sakura's loss of temper had taken Kakashi by surprise. He was very much aware of how much she loved her teammates, especially the younger Uchiha. There was no reason for him to disagree with Itachi regarding the situation. Much to Sakura's amusement, she was transferred under Itachi's command while Sai went with her sensei.

She didn't complain, though. The tactical decision put a wide berth between herself and Sasuke. It was probably for the best, seeing as she was finally over her crush and Sasuke's holier-than-thou antics annoyed her more than Naruto's usual silliness. Maybe she was going for the usual scorned woman scenario, but she honestly didn't care.

That was why she complied with Itachi's order to go outside the perimeter with him in order to send a message to their Hokage. Sasuke had hissed under his breath, but she didn't notice it. However, Shisui did, making him smirk in unholy glee at the significant glare that the young Uchiha sent to his older brother.

Running next to the dark-haired prodigy, she understood why his team was the most demanded by the village's clients. Itachi's mind never strayed from the task at hand, hands flowing smoothly in the jutsu that connected them straight to a conference to Tsunade.

"You seem preoccupied," he noted in a murmur, watching a hawk flying high and away from them.

"I am," she confirmed. "I'm scared for Naruto. I fear..."

"I know," he nodded. "Chances are that they don't know that Sasori is dead yet."

There was another matter that worried her sick, but she wasn't going to talk about it with him. Those goading, taunting words that Sasori had spoken to Itachi in his deathbed were unsettling enough for her, especially when a sharp pang spread in her chest whenever his presence was so close to her. She knew he was gorgeous (her mental roommate remarked on this rather loudly and quite often), and intelligent – brilliant, actually – not to mention how powerfully skilled he was.

Apparently, he was so remarkable that had brought the Akatsuki's attention upon himself.

Watching her eyes lowering, Itachi noticed a glimmer of uncertainty in her gaze before she looked away. He was certain that her worry for her brother was encompassing her very soul, but the uncomfortable blush that dusted her features led him to think that was more to her thoughts that rescuing the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki only.

"Did you finish breaking Kabuto's journal?" he asked, making her look at him again and nod. "What did you find?"

"He... described the Akatsuki's individual skills," she began, opening the black journal. "The blue-skinned one, Kisame, is a Suiton-expert, whereas the blond guy that Naruto and Sasuke fought at the Fire City is an explosive expert."

"Seeing as he is a missing-nin from Iwa, we can be sure that this Deidara can use Doton as well," he said with an approving nod. "What about the others?"

"Uhm... it seems that they were nine, but suddenly Orochimaru defected from the organization. The date of this particular observation is a week before our Jounin Exams, so..."

Itachi turned her head to stare at her. Sakura fidgeted nervously, gripping the journal in an attempt to calm herself.

"Sakura," he said softly, one of his hands rising to trace her cheek. "Trust me."

She stared back. "I think... I think Orochimaru defected the Akatsuki because he thought he could lure Sasuke out during our examination."

His hand stopped his soft caress of her face. "So you think he was after the Sharingan."

"Yes," she breathed, nodding. "I don't know why he picked Sasuke, though. He could have chosen some other Uchiha, like Shisui... or you..."

But somehow it was understandable, a nagging voice rumbled in the back of her mind. Sasuke was the weakest link of the Head Family. Uchiha Fugaku's Sharingan was far too overused to be of any usefulness and Itachi...

Itachi was targeted to become one of them. One of the Akatsuki.

Orochimaru was far too fond of his life to cross the Akatsuki. Of course, if the criminal organization wanted the older brother... he figured he could have the younger.

Shisui was already too settled in with Hana and his life to be persuaded to leave the village. Itachi and Sasuke, she concluded, were the most likely to be influenced to change loyalties.

But Sasuke had stayed, and Itachi was still there. Sakura looked up at the Uchiha ANBU Captain, eyes swimming in confusion.

"Why didn't you leave with them?" she asked in a whisper. "You... could have gone and be free... from..."

Itachi understood, and once more, pieces of his mental puzzle called Haruno Sakura clicked together.

"I didn't go because I have a brother to protect, and a family to lead," he answered smoothly, ever so softly, his fingers resuming the tracing of the contours of her face. "I also have a duty to fulfill to Konoha, and..."

His calculated trail off made her blush furiously, especially when the fingers caressing her face went around the back of her neck and pulled her lightly towards him.

"I would like to think... I have a certain someone to look forward to my return."

Sakura closed her eyes willingly when his lips touched hers in a brief, chaste kiss.

-X-

His senses prickled, making him stiffen around Sakura's body. Pulling away from her, Itachi noted that she had picked up the eerie feeling as well.

They shared a gaze, and she watched in secret awe as his rich onyx eyes charged swiftly with the crimson and three-pointed, demonic look of the Sharingan.

Stepping away from her, his hand went to his ninjatô as Sakura clenched her fists.

But when a dog broke in Itachi's vision field, a new feeling of dread entered their senses.

"Pakkun!"

"Sakura, Kakashi needs you back at the camp," the pug said between pants. She nodded, taking off with Itachi leaping at her side as the dog led them back. "One of the ANBU encountered someone in his patrol... and the fight got out of hand."

_Oh no_.

"Who?" she asked, pressing a hand to her chest full with dread. "Pakkun, tell me who!"

"A pale young man, I don't know his name."

A steely arm circled her waist as another hand grabbed the pug by his collar. Feeling herself teleported, she realized what Itachi had done. But the sight that greeted them back at the camp was nothing short of terrible.

Sai lay in a pool of blood, his previously neatly combed hair matted with the sticky substance. Shisui and Kakashi were next to him, as Yamato tried to clean his many, many wounds.

"Holy Kami-sama," she breathed as she ran to them. Dropping to her knees, she pushed chakra frantically to Sai's chest, scanning the extent of his injuries. "Who the fuck did this to him?!" she snarled, ripping the ANBU's shirt from his body to work without hindrances.

"A blue haired woman, she was wearing an Akatsuki cloak," Yamato explained. "I saw her fleeing when I heard one of Sai's tigers roar. The fight must have been very silent and quick; I didn't realize that she was around–"

"Enough," Itachi said as he kneeled next to Sakura as she pushed great amounts of green healing energy into his teammate, but she was looking at Yamato with her mouth hanging open.

Sakura breathed deeply. "Blue-haired _kunoichi_?" she asked tightly. Both Shisui and the mokuton user nodded, watching how the emerald-eyes darkened with utmost rage. "Fucking _bitch_," she hissed, clenching her teeth to control her temper, but her frantic look overrode everything as she passed her glowing hand over Sai's chest. "Sai!" she yelled. "Don't you dare to die on me!"

Everything was silent in the camp as it started to rain. No one seemed to pay attention, as Sakura's energy was the only thing moving under the onslaught of Mother Nature. It was as if the skies were trying to wash Sai's blood away.

"No!" she shouted. "Sai! No! _Nononono_! You have to live, you bastard!"

"Sakura, your chakra is almost depleted," Kakashi warned softly.

"NO! I have to save him! This is my way of the ninja!" she screamed. "SAI!"

Said ink-user opened briefly his eyes, fixing them on hers.

"Sak–..."

"Shut up and stay awake!" she shouted. "I will save you even if it is my last act!"

Sai shook his head weakly. "...No...you have...to save..._him_. My friend."

Sakura choked back a sob, inhaling sharply. Sai's lips curled faintly in a little, sincere smile.

"Thank you...and thank hi...him for me..."

"Sai, no... you need to live to tell him that in person," she said, sobbing openly now, her tears mingling with the rain that fell on her face. "Sai... no, SAI! I _will_ save you!"

Her dwindling chakra – depleted due to the several preparations she had done for the upcoming battle in Amegakure, her patrolling duty, and the emergency attempt to heal the socially-stunted ninja who was finally beginning to open up to others – flared once again, stronger than before. Suddenly, two pairs of arms all but dragged her from Sai's motionless body, much to the remaining ANBU Alpha operative's surprise.

"He's gone, he's gone," Kakashi repeated in her ear, as she struggled blindly to release herself from Shisui and Kakashi's restraining embrace.

"No!! I have to save him! He's my brother's friend! I _have_ to save him!!" she wailed, despair making her voice shrill and frantic.

"He wants you to save Naruto for him," Shisui murmured softly, as she collapsed on Kakashi's chest. "That is his last wish."

The rain seemed to fall harder, but it did nothing to drown Sakura's cries of anguish and grief.

-X-

The Konoha shinobi were ready to set out, after giving themselves a minute to say goodbye to their fallen comrade. Yamato, Shisui and Itachi were the last, following the White Ops' regular procedures for the operatives that were killed in action.

Sasuke and Kakashi had taken upon themselves the patrolling of the area. Sakura had been left behind to let out her grief for the young man whose budding friendship with both her and Naruto had seemed to fascinate him so much.

However, what was eating the pink-haired kunoichi inside out was something very simple, but terrible.

_She had failed her nindo_.

She had failed to save Sai's life, and thus she had been mercilessly struck in the face with the fact that she wasn't as strong as she thought.

How could she save Naruto from the Akatsuki's clutches if she couldn't save her own comrades, her nakama?

Wallowing in harsh mental recriminations and frustration, she failed to see a tall, lean form approaching her.

"Sakura," a deep murmur made her look up slowly from her hugged knees. Itachi was standing in front of her, almost towering with his white uniform drenched by the earlier rainfall. "It is time. Do you wish to see him one more time?"

Sakura shook her head, lowering her gaze back to her knees until she noticed that he hadn't left her to her own devices. In fact, he had crouched to catch her eyes once more.

"A shinobi's life is hard," he said softly, his onyx gaze never wavering from hers. "But, no matter if our nakama falls, we must strive forward. It is the basic principle, Sakura."

"How can you say that?" she whispered, her eyes dull with muted desperation. "He... I couldn't – it's my fault–"

"Listen to me," he commanded in that soft tone he had used in her home when asking for her sincerity. "If you think it is your fault he fought back against an ambusher, then it is also my fault for not protecting him either."

"But you weren't there!" she protested, irritated at the Uchiha ANBU Captain. Why couldn't she mourn in peace? "You–"

"Exactly," he cut her off smoothly. "I was not even in the same location. And you were with me. You can not blame yourself for the decisions Sai made."

"But I couldn't save him–"

"Sakura, neither of my teammates is blaming you. Not Shisui, not Yamato. And as Sai's Captain, _I_ am not blaming you either."

She fell silent, belatedly realizing that this was Itachi's way to reassure her and set her back onto her feet, so to speak.

"It is unwise to wallow in regret when he told you to carry a message in his behalf," he continued softly. "Let us be on our way and show our targets the real meaning of the word 'retribution.'"

If Sakura was surprised for his awkward, albeit sneaky attempt to restore her self-confidence, the sudden cold steel of his tone when speaking the last sentence made her notice that he was as troubled as she was regarding Sai's demise.

Onyx eyes stared back at emerald ones, for a moment showing the extent of the meaning of his words. The pink-haired medic finally understood.

Seeing her nod, he stood, a hand outstretched and waiting for her to take it. Behind, a clone of him lit the modest pyre that served as Sai's last step to the afterlife.

"Come. We are leaving now."

"Hai."

-X-

It was almost nightfall when they finally reached the outskirts of the Village Hidden in the Rain. True to its name, it poured non-stop.

Six figures stood over seemed to be a cleft in a high chasm, a little away from the falling rain. Something was odd, especially with the lack of that sweet aroma that brought the precipitation of water over the earth. Calling for a halt, one of the brown-cloaked figures turned to the rest of the group.

"This rain is not natural," Itachi said, with his Sharingan alight. "It is too massive and it's charged with chakra."

The smallest of the cloaked figures cleared her throat. "According to Kabuto's journal, this might be the Akatsuki Leader's doing."

"Such massive Suiton manipulation!" Shisui exclaimed softly, his own Sharingan eyes examining the rain falling a hundred meters ahead. "If it's his doing, he must have great reserves of chakra."

"We need to hurry," Sasuke said with a business-like tone. "We do not know if they had begun extracting..."

"There is the strong possibility that we could be outnumbered," Yamato piped in, "if they found replacements for the members that were defeated. Kakuzu, Hidan, Sasori and Orochimaru."

"But there's also the possibility that they hadn't filled those places just yet," Kakashi said. "I have to agree; this is way too dangerous. But I'm positive that I'm speaking for my team when I say that for Naruto we are capable of everything."

Sakura and Sasuke nodded firmly at their sensei's words. Yamato sighed.

"Besides, I owe that kunoichi the beating of her life," Sakura's hard voice was heard from under her hood. "That was Konan; Kabuto described her as a paper-jutsu expert."

"Sakura, I don't think it's–"

"She's mine," she cut Yamato off sharply, turning her turbulent emerald eyes to stare at him. "I owe that to Sai, at least."

"And we also have a message to deliver to the Akatsuki ourselves," Shisui said, letting out a little growl. "Konoha is not above introducing their enemies to a world of pain in return for what they have done to us and our comrades."

Itachi nodded in approval at his cousin's statement. "I spoke to Hokage-sama and she agreed to send back-up. Maito and Nara's teams should be arriving by mid-morning."

"But–"

"However," Itachi continued smoothly, glancing at Sakura. "We are not going to wait. We have to proceed now."

She nodded seriously, looking at the downpouring sky again. "But how do we pass that rain curtain without being detected?"

"Easy," Shisui grinned grimly, holding out a scroll with the Uchiha crest on its binding. "We teleport ourselves in."

-X-

It was so dark that Sakura couldn't see beyond her nose. The teleportation performed by Itachi and Shisui went without a hitch; those two must be a formidable team, if they were so in tune with each others' dynamics, she deduced.

Breathing startled her, making hers hitch. "Relax, it's me."

She heard something crack and soon Sasuke's face was lit by a lantern. The light made his face glow with that sick greenish color of the mission-fare lamps.

"What?" he asked softly; Sakura shook her head.

They were cramped in a storage room. Looking around, she noticed that the stone walls were sweating. Pressing a hand over the wall, she felt the cold seeping into her skin.

"I think we're underground," she murmured, cleaning the moisture in her hand on her cloak. "Near a lake or some large water body."

Sasuke grunted noncommittally. "Let's found the others."

"Sasuke," Sakura murmured, looking directly into his crimson glare pleadingly. "We _have_ to save him."

He stared at her for a long moment, and then nodded with great determination in his eyes. "We will."

Opening the door carefully, he wordlessly gave the lantern to the pink-haired kunoichi, who hid it under her cloak and followed him out of the room.

They rendezvoused with the rest of their group in a hall that clearly had seen better days. Shisui had his ninjatô unsheathed, Yamato had shed his cloak for better movement and Kakashi had done the same. Sakura handed the lantern back to Sasuke, pulling her gloves on. Preparations were ready.

"I can feel several chakra signatures moving above us," Yamato said. "It seems that this place is packed with nins."

"It is of no importance," Itachi answered lightly. "We are teleporting again."

Before the others had the time to blink, he pointed to a map of the city that was pinned to a wall. "This construction might probably have been the administration building of the village. According to the map and the readings of the chakra signatures, the Akatsuki have to be nearing that location to the northeast," he explained, pointing at a massive square indicating a building – a tower.

"Well, this is it," Shisui said, swinging his blade expertly in a mid-arc. "Are you guys ready to roll?"

"This is suicide," Yamato muttered, but nodded all the same. Kakashi directed one of his eye-creases at the wood-summoner, hands in his pants pockets.

"I'm sure it feels that way," he said. "But I think the motto, 'A ninja who breaks the code is trash but a ninja who abandon his teammates is worse than trash,' applies accurately in this particular situation."

"I'd die for him."

All the males fixed their eyes on the only female of the team, who frowned in retaliation. "Don't look at me like that. I'm willing to give all for all. He's my brother, my _family_. And I'd die for his sake if that's what it takes to get him back."

"Let us hope it doesn't come to that," Shisui murmured, looking at his older cousin. Both Uchiha flashed a string of hand-seals, and soon they disappeared to a roofed alley near the other building.

Sakura and Sasuke were the first to gasp when they recognized Naruto's chakra signature.

"He's in there," he said, finding her eyes and nodding. She gritted her teeth.

"Alright, we'll charge inside and crash their ceremony like Tsunade-sama said," Kakashi instructed. "But you have to remember, Sasuke, Sakura; don't lose your heads. Watch your tempers."

Both jounin nodded, and Sakura cocked her fist.

Despite everything that had been said and done, nothing prepared the Konoha ninja for the spectacle that had been presented to them as soon as the wall was teared apart by the female's fist.

A humongous statue, resembling a pair of cuffed hands in front of another sculpture with several eyes, towered over them. Six figures stood on the fingertips of the statue, but an immense ball of blue chakra between the hands quickly drew the attention of the newcomers.

_Naruto_.

As if on cue, their blond-haired nakama let out an earsplitting scream of unfathomable pain.

Sasuke snarled in fury, unsheathing a katana, while Sakura's shriek of rage marked the only warning for a livid stomping of her foot, cracking the floor in a chasm that opened a line to one of the hands, the cracking of the stone thundering the massive hall.

"This is the day you all die, Akatsuki!" Sasuke roared, his body crackling with electric chakra.

It had begun.

-XxX-

KEKEKEKEKEKEKE!!! XD

I know you will curse at me, but come on, tell me this cliffy isn't beautiful. XD

I have to say, I _adore_ Sai. He's a lovable dork, and I was all sad the day I wrote about his demise here in this story (not to mention that I also had to kill him in Refraction, damn). However, I managed to pull this chapter easier than the previous ones, maybe because I had planned this outcome and recreated it in my head long enough... or maybe because the battle scenes are becoming my true specialty. :'D

All in all, I hope you like this chapter. Many love and thanks to my dearest RapturesRevenge for her thoughtful comments and cheering up when I was feeling like down.

And to all of you, thanks for reading!


	12. An Army of Me

**Chapter ****12: An Army of Me**

**Warning:** Extreme violence ahead.

-X-

As soon as the thunderous crack went wrapping around the massive stone left hand, the cloaked figures that happened to be on it had to jump to avoid the collapse, effectively breaking the ceremony that was taking place within the very heart of Amegakure.

Naruto's body fell to the ground with a loud thud, signaling the beginning of the battle.

"Fools!" one of the cloaked nins roared, disclosing himself as Kisame. "You don't know what you just did!"

"Oh believe me, we know exactly what we're doing," Sasuke hissed, jumping out of the way as Sakura's foot connected with the floor once more, sending a crack to the statue's other hand. Soon, the other Konoha nins scattered, laying dibs on their chosen opponents.

"Konan!" the pink-haired kunoichi snarled, fists poised and ready. "I'll be the one that will send you to hell!"

Said blue-haired female nodded wordlessly, her face and body fracturing into thousands of little paper sheets, swirling away towards a corner of the massively large hall. Sakura bounded close behind; hands flying through a long string of hand-seals. A sudden green glow on Sakura's forehead soon formed a diamond-shaped marking.

"I see," Konan's deep but feminine tone floated with the paper sheets. "You are the Godaime Hokage's apprentice. I shall not underestimate you."

"How wise of you," Sakura hissed, hands flowing through another string of seals. "Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!" she inhaled, sending the Grand Fireball towards the swirl of papers, which whirled away, but some of them got caught in Sakura's technique.

The paper assembly gathered together, showing Konan's frowning face. Sakura sneered.

"What, you don't like fire?" she taunted recklessly. "That's too bad."

Konan's eyes narrowed in irritation before dissipating again in paper sheets. Her pink-haired opponent jumped away as a sudden barrage of kunai flew towards her. Looking around, she noticed an orange-haired man with piercings all over his features glaring at her, with a pair of the strangest, ringed eyes she had ever seen. But he had to look away as Itachi's sword tried to pierce him.

"Leave the females to their own devices, Pein-san," the Uchiha Heir's voice intoned mildly, as his Sharingan glinted wickedly in the dull darkness of the humongous hall. "Or do you feel that your partner is not up to the challenge, that you have to protect her?"

The man called Pein merely raised a hand, turning his attention to the raven-haired ANBU Captain.

"Your words bear no reason at all," his deep, cultivated voice answered, as a pointy black spear appeared in his hand, parrying the ninjatô in Itachi's hand with amazing skill and not even blinking at the loud clang that both blades made at the point of contact. "She will be the last one standing from that battle. The Konoha kunoichi will die."

"Well, that's rich," Sakura hissed sarcastically as she jumped away from the sudden attack of the paper sheets. Noticing immediately how the crinkling material shaped themselves into kunai and shuriken, Sakura started to run, avoiding the finely honed weapons as they practically rained on her. It wasn't of consequence that they were made of paper; they were as efficient and razor-sharp as the ones made of steel.

Feeling warm liquid trickling down her cheek, Sakura realized that some of the paper-made weapons had aimed true. Konan still floated above her, pouring sheets of paper as she went, also gathering a few of them to make a pair of wings, in order to help maintain her light body in the air. It was a bad prospect for Sakura, seeing as she was trained for close combat and the Akatsuki female was made for middle to long-range attacks.

But let it not be said that a teammate of the Kyuubi vessel doesn't know how to surprise people, the pink-haired Jounin thought with a decisive clench of her teeth.

-X-

Sasuke was thinking the same thing as his female teammate as he evaded another clay-made sparrow.

"What's the matter, kiddo, hmm?" the blond ninja that he was facing sneered, with a cocky, psychotic grin. "Can't handle a few explosions?"

The young Uchiha's Sharingan swirled, surveying Deidara's techniques and cursing inwardly. Kekkei Genkai techniques couldn't be copied, but perhaps he could do something to trick the bomber-nin.

"Why don't you just go die in a fire?" Sasuke sneered as the Gokakyuu no Jutsu flared in the hall once more. Deidara evaded it, sending a barrage of clay birds toward his opponent.

"Why don't _you_ die already? This is getting boring as hell, yeah."

What he didn't know was that the youngest Uchiha was constructing his counterattack in the form of a genjutsu. Several snakes broke out of the ground with a joint hiss and jumped at the clay bird, in a flurry of movement that opened a humongous hole in the wall, startling the people outside the building and creating the unavoidable collective chaos.

The fight was out now, and the Leaf ninja would be probably attacked from every angle. But as soon as the pieces of wall settled down on the ground, a shout outside signaled that Konoha wasn't invading Amegakure on their own; a rush of sand and a barrage of weapons made it clear that reinforcements had arrived, with a few addendums.

All the better, Sasuke smirked as he felt the tomoe in his eyes shift into another form.

-X-

The Uchiha ANBU Captain deflected another thrust of Pein's black spear while his mind reeled. The probability of coming out of this battle unscathed was about forty percent, for him, whereas his cousin Shisui – who was battling the nin who had a swirled orange mask, Tobi – had a sixty percent chance, given the information Sakura had decoded from Kabuto's journal in the last stop before entering Rain.

Kakashi, who was fighting the powerful Hoshigake Kisame, had a sixty-five percent chance of victory, while Yamato, battling the mysterious Zetsu, had an even fifty percent.

However, his brother Sasuke, who was battling the blond arsonist and explosive expert, Deidara, had less than a thirty percent of winning his battle.

Sakura's chances of defeating that kunoichi, Konan, were less than ten percent, in his objective opinion.

It was a fortunate thing that their help got hold of the rest of the mercenaries that surrounded the main building. It was very convenient, and Itachi wondered if his Hokage had something to do with this, as they had to round the route by gathering info from Orochimaru's hideout. Also, there was the strong possibility that Jiraiya had helped, gathering information on his own.

"I would appreciate your full attention before I kill you, Uchiha-san," the smooth voice of his opponent broke his quick reverie. "Are you worried about your teammates? Do not be, for they are going to die at any rate."

"I would not wager on that, Pein-san," Itachi shot back easily. "I have to admit that your organization has been most effective in keeping the information about its members classified," he continued; it was time to make the orange-haired man talk, if possible.

"It was most unfortunate that Sasori couldn't finish Orochimaru and return with us," apparently, Pein knew they had the journal. "It is of no importance. We are aware of the technical summaries the Snake Sannin had on us all. However, it is one thing to know the theory and another..." slate grey ringed eyes glowed diabolically under the clouded daylight, "the practice."

Itachi stopped when he recognized that Kekkei Genkai from an old folktale book one of his aunts gave him when he was a boy.

The Rinnegan.

-X-

Yamato was not having a good day.

Not to mention how dangerous this mission would be - he understood the need of salvaging Naruto and bringing him back home, for letting the Kyuubi fall into Akatsuki's hands was not an option, and god forbid, allowing the release of the Nine Tails bijuu to the world would practically vaporize it.

Now he was avoiding the several tentacles that were shooting toward him from everywhere out of the ground, producing as many branches as he could dare as he avoided the stingers that were poised at the end of every tentacle attached to Zetsu.

Having enough data on the plant-man made him think of a nice, safe strategy - wearing the guy out and then neutralizing him with a doton jutsu. It was by far the safest bet since the Akatsuki was surely keeping his distance from his mokuton.

"What's the matter," Zetsu asked in a mild voice. "_**Are you scared**_?"

The second question came out in a harsher, wicked tone. This gave Yamato the outrageous idea of how Zetsu seemed to be everywhere... but medically, that farfetched idea was beyond impossible.

Or was it?

Not having the time to ponder his deranged idea, the ground shook once more, this time from one of the blond Akatsuki's bombs, which were chasing Sasuke all over the place. Deidara was laughing maniacally, the mouths in his hands with their tongues waggling mockingly as the youngest Uchiha practically flew around, avoiding the charged blasts.

Such a freak... all members of the Akatsuki were proof of the strange meddling of Mother Nature.

No one knew about natural interferences more than Yamato.

Hands flying in the usual mokuton seals, numerous wooden branches cracked out of the earth, matching the poisoned tentacles of his enemy.

Creating a shield, he quickly set about his plan, praying that his gut was right about that incredibly ridiculous but horrific idea.

-X-

A blond, laughing moron was still hovering over Sasuke.

"C'mon, yeah!" Deidara sneered, sending another dozen sparrows after his quarry. "Show me how awesome that Uchiha clan is! How long are you going to run, little brat?"

Not for long, Sasuke promised inwardly, feeling the mark on his shoulder throb and pulse, begging for release. "Stupid arsonist," he mumbled, hoping his opponent heard him.

Deidara did hear, cackling in response. "Is that what you call an insult? Bah! Hidan was way more versed in the cursing field, Uchiha brat. Sure, he lacked finesse in everything else, but his filthy mouth could give a sailor a run for his money, yeah."

"And he was killed by one of my comrades, did you know?" Sasuke taunted, three tomoe spinning lazily in each of his eyes. "His zombie skills didn't save him from his final destiny."

"Oh? And tell me, did he go with a blast?" the mad bomber asked eagerly, eyes glinting in excitement.

Remembering Shikamaru's report, he smirked. "Who knows."

Deidara frowned, watching how at ease his enemy seemed to be as he sliced all the bombs with his katana and avoided each explosion.

"Oh! You think you're some hot shot because you're able to avoid minor charges? I'll show you, yeah!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Oh yeah, show me."

Pressing both hands inside his clay bags, Deidara missed the clone that dropped from the neighboring building, inhaling all the air it could muster.

"Katon: Gokakyuu no jutsu!" the clone yelled, sending a massive fireball towards the back of the ninja but a sudden flock of birds served as a wall, protecting Deidara and directing the blast right back at Sasuke's clone, which popped out as it was caught in the explosion.

"Nice try, yeah!" Deidara jeered, annoying his opponent by sending another group of sparrows after him. "But you're gonna need more power if you want to be a worthy match!"

"More power," Sasuke repeated flatly, his sword slashing out. "Fine, I'll give you more power."

Deidara's taunting laugh resonated through the battlefield.

-X-

Actually, Shisui wasn't faring too well with his opponent.

The moron kept slipping away from his attacks, no matter how sure he was that his kunai or shuriken would hit. The weapons simply passed through without harm.

Tobi tilted his head inquisitively. "Oh! Shisui-san, you seem upset!"

"Oh no, not at all," he groused, gritting his teeth in frustrated annoyance as he launched another barrage of sharp kunai. "I just want you to be still for a moment!"

"Oh! But I can't do that!" Tobi jumped in place frantically, but his ridiculous antics weren't amusing at all for the elder Uchiha. "Why do you attack me, Shisui-san? Tobi didn't do anything to you!"

"That might be," the Uchiha jumped, ninjatô in hand, intent on slashing his opponent but, once more, the corporeal form seemed to vanish as the blade ran through. "Dammit!"

He would need to pull out the big techniques then, Shisui decided, his Sharingan shifting to the three tomoe, which started spinning.

Suddenly, Tobi laughed. "Oh Shisui-san, a genjutsu is not going to work with Tobi. Tobi is a good boy, you see."

The Uchiha ANBU watched in surprise as the masked nin looked up, engaging his Sharingan with one of his own.

But the form was different... there were no tomoe.

Shisui let out a mental curse.

-X-

Kakashi was certain the sword that Kisame carried was going to be a great nuisance.

"I should have picked Itachi-san to fight with," the tall Mist nukenin was musing as he avoided his attacks. "I owe him a thump or two after that genjutsu in the Fire Palace."

The Copy Ninja smirked under his mask, his hitai-ate showing his gifted Sharingan. "What's the matter, you don't like genjutsu?"

"I prefer ninjutsu," Kisame showed all his razor-sharp teeth in a menacing smile before opening his mouth and letting out a humongous amount of water, basically drowning every person around them with the force of the wave.

"That's impressive," Kakashi noted, hands in his pockets as he regarded the flooded place with bored countenance. "It's a good thing I like ninjutsu the most too."

"Oh yeah, that 'Master of a Thousand Jutsu' title you hold... it's interesting, don't you think?" the blue-skinned nin taunted, his sword ready in his shoulder, buzzing with anticipation. "Why don't you show me what you got?"

The silver-haired man looked up. "Fine, but don't come crying to me afterwards."

He hoped his bluff wasn't called before his chakra was eaten, or worse, depleted.

-X-

Thankfully, the flood didn't reach the site where Naruto lay.

Sakura, however, after the flooding Kisame had provoked, had a wonderful idea.

It would be quite risky, but knowing that everybody else was fighting for their lives and the rest of the world, hers was a small price.

"Creation Rebirth," Sakura murmured, feeling a rush of warm chakra flooding her senses and pathways, feeling recovered as every single gash from the razor-sharp origami healed.

She had known for a while that her base element was earth. Doton jutsu were nicely set with earth, wind and water. With fire, even better. But water...

Sakura wondered idly what kind of element origami was.

"Nice new addendum to your face," Konan droned from her vantage point, hovering over the water. "Paying homage to your shishou?"

"Something like that, but it's not really your business," she sneered, raising an eyebrow, dismissing the ornate swirls that decorated her features. "Come on, bitch. Shannaro."

Konan dissipated herself into tons of folded paper shaped into kunai, which rained over the Leaf kunoichi. Sakura didn't move, taking every blow, scratch and gash, not having enough room to avoid them. She cried out in pain, as the kunai moved faster, staining the paper with her blood.

"You will lose now," the blue-haired kunoichi said with a faint note of triumph in her ethereal voice. "Just like your friend, that couldn't handle his own artwork being ripped apart by the paper that contained it."

Sakura saw red when she realized how Sai had been tricked and cornered.

Just like she was now.

"I have to wonder though," Konan continued as she rematerialized in front of her panting opponent, "what do you have that is so special, for Uchiha Itachi to refuse our advantageous proposal. He could have been a great asset to us."

"Shut up!" she gritted, as another gash was opened on her skin.

"But it is true," the blue-haired woman pressed, feeling that Sakura was about to crack. "You are not suited for this ninja life. You are pathetic and emotional; this makes you so weak I find it amazing for you to even be a jounin-ranked kunoichi with this obvious lack of skills."

"Perhaps, you're not looking at the big picture," Sakura gritted as her blood kept flowing, "It's more about the desire to protect our loved ones that makes us strong. Itachi refused you because you have no honorable goal whatsoever. He decided to stay in his homeland because he knew he could make a difference with us."

Konan narrowed her eyes. "This is where you die, Haruno Sakura," she said coldly, her origami skills creating a long katana and running it through her stomach. "Your idealism holds no reason against the word of God."

"Who's the God you speak of?" Sakura asked after she cried out, feeling her life slipping from her. "God is the greatest protector of this world, the one that lets us live with our decisions, no matter how bad they can be for us. He granted us the most amazing gift... free will."

"You have no idea how God is," Konan allowed herself a mild sneer, as Sakura's clammy hands clasped hers feebly. "God is the one that will set this world right. No more war, no more death. No more ninja."

"And how...many people...will you...kill for this goal?" Sakura asked, tightening her grip on the blue-haired woman's hand. "People that have... always worked for the greater...good. If you really...believed in God...you would see..."

Pulling Konan's sword deeper into her, Sakura breathed deeply and smiled. The Akatsuki kunoichi's eyes widened in surprise when she found herself covered in exploding tags, the product of Sakura's blood as she sliced her. Realizing she had been fooled by a simple genjutsu.

"You will see...how _wrong_ you are. _Sakura Fubuki no jutsu_!"

The ensuing blast called the attention of all.

-X-

Sasuke's snakes lay all dead, scorched and seared, at his feet.

At least, Deidara wasn't laughing anymore.

And Sasuke himself was furious. He had seen Sakura's technique going off, and so far she hadn't appeared among the debris that floated in the water.

He would never forgive her if she died so stupidly.

The building he stood on rumbled with the beginning of another explosion. Deidara was closing in, he could feel him building up the C2 charge he had promised him. It was just a matter of time until he executed his plan...

But first, he needed to release that little mark on his neck. Three teardrops in a circle were the only physical evidence of the seal Orochimaru had imprinted on him with his fangs, the Heaven Cursed Seal. Disregarding the warding that Kakashi had placed on him, it was just as his genin sensei had advised him.

The cursed seal held wicked power, but in this dire situation he didn't have any qualms about using it.

"There you are, brat! Eat my explosive clay, yeah!"

The dragon uncoiled itself from the electric tower, bellowing a roar that resonated throughout the entire village. It wasn't raining anymore; a dark power kept the sky overcast but with no more precipitation.

Sasuke gripped his sword and closed his eyes, feeling the foreign chakra engulf his form, changing his body, feeling his back throbbing as it ripped apart as horrendous wings sprouted from his skin. His hair grew wild, his Sharingan honed in on his target unerringly.

Attacking a surprised Deidara, who ripped his own shirt apart and displayed another mouth sewed closed on his chest, Sasuke was sure of his victory.

"_Kuchiyose no jutsu_!"

-X-

Itachi almost froze when he felt Sakura's energy dwindling at an alarming rate, but the dark chakra that roiled out of his little brother stunned him to a halt.

Looking around quickly, he found each of Pein's bodies battling furiously against a Konoha or a Sand nin. Sabaku no Gaara was imprisoning one, while his siblings were fighting another. A third was battling a newly minted ANBU-level Hyuuga Neji, while the fourth body was being handled marvelously by the rest of his genin team. The fifth was being handled by Nara Shikamaru and his team. Itachi was handling the main one, though, as the orange-haired man kept pushing him for an opening.

"What is the matter, Uchiha?" Pein asked coldly. "Did you lose something?"

Sakura's explosion rocked the village, making the Akatsuki leader pause in surprise.

Itachi leaped forward, breaking the black spear Pein held as they realized that Sakura had risen against all odds and defeated her opponent. Itachi felt a rush of fierce pride inside; he hoped, hoped that she would pull through. Like a phoenix, she had risen from her ashes, and had fulfilled her promise to her friend Sai by conquering her Akatsuki enemy.

Pein, on the other hand, was gripped by a cold fury.

"Konan," he whispered.

"Excellent battle they had, won't you agree?" Itachi said smoothly as he avoided a second blade and parried a third.

"Your nakama is surprising, I give you that," Pein said flatly, his speed enhancing with each blow and making Itachi accelerate his movements to keep up with him. "But you won't come out victorious from this battle. I ask you, Uchiha, how incensed is your flame regarding your beliefs."

"My beliefs? What a strange question coming from you, Pein-san" Itachi answered with an ease he didn't feel.

"The Path of God is the Path of Pein," the orange-haired ninja intoned, as if repeating a line he had said many, many times in the past. Your doujutsu won't help you against the hand of God. The Rinnegan overpowers _everything_."

"How...arrogant of you, Pein-san," Itachi answered, now realizing why all the genjutsu he had placed hadn't held against his quarry. It was simply impossible to fool him with an illusion, pretty much like the Hyuuga, although there were high-level genjutsu that couldn't be broken by the Byakugan. "I personally do not believe in God."

"Ah, you are a skeptical one," the other said, as if he was amused by Itachi's flat remark. "The works of God are everywhere. Do you honestly not believe in the high power of divinity; how you humans play the game God has set for his subjects? It is easy to understand why you are so detached when it comes to such matters, Uchiha, but that doesn't make you the holder of the ultimate truth."

"The ultimate truth is that you want to annihilate everyone and bring all the countries to their knees," Itachi's face finally twisted in a disgusted, haughty sneer. "I cannot call that the work of God but the work of a totalitarian madman. Tell me, Pein-san, is this your way of getting revenge for whatever wrong was done against you?"

"You know nothing of my reasons," Pein was swift in his response and his counterattack. Two of his other bodies had been brought down – the summoner and the taujutsu vessel – which limited his field of observation, making him a bit vulnerable. Yet, the others were responding well and it was just a matter of time for his comeback.

A humongous explosion stopped all his machinations though, when Deidara had finally gone through all his techniques against the youngest Uchiha. The blond Akatsuki had resorted to his last but not least jutsu.

The C0.

The earth shook so strongly that all the contenders fell to the floor unceremoniously. There was a massive feeling of confusion, but then some ninja took the diversion to their advantage and struck their enemies.

-X-

Kisame's arms lay on the ground, neutralizing him effectively as Kakashi stood over him, breathing heavily, his Sharingan spinning in a bright pool of red.

Yamato managed to cage Zetsu, delivering a fierce Suiton jutsu inside his wooden contraption. He knew the only thing that could kill the plantman was salt; but then he remembered one of Sakura's poisons. He only had to add it to his water jutsu to make an acidic solution, strong enough to kill his opponent.

Shisui managed to land a hit on his adversary, a hairline crack dividing the orange, swirled mask. A dark laugh came out of it, making him curse now loud and clear in his mind, as he gripped the kunai and drove it hard into his own thigh.

-X-

Yamato ran to the summoned lake when he noticed a figure trying to make their way towards the shore.

"Sakura!" he exclaimed, splashing all over as he ran to assist her. "Are you alright? We thought you –"

"I'm fine," she replied, panting as she took in a cleansing breath. "I managed to cover my head with chakra when I slammed down to the bottom of the lake. Where's Naruto?"

"Still unconscious," he answered with a grim frown. "I have a clone watching over him. His vitals are stable, but..."

"By the gods..." Sakura murmured with a stricken tone, but she wasn't listening to him anymore.

A monstrous sight was hovering in front of their eyes.

Long-haired, dark eyes with a strange pinwheel form in his Sharingan, Uchiha Sasuke waved his morbid hand-like wings effortlessly, taking in the massive battlefield the Rain village had become.

"What..." Yamato whispered, bewildered. Kakashi also observed the hovering young man from his place, as he finished tying Kisame up.

"Sasuke, what have you done..." Sakura breathed, eyes widened. "Sasuke!"

His eyes swiveled to hers and held her there. "It was the only way," he growled.

"No it wasn't!" she screeched. "Why did you have to do this? This is not a quest for power, Sasuke!"

"Shut up!" the bizarre winged form roared. "You haven't the slightest idea of what I was going through!"

"And serving as a test subject for Orochimaru served you to set your own North?" Sakura snarled right back. "This is not about you, you moron! This is about Naruto!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Yamato asked her as Kakashi reached them. The silver-haired ninja looked angry, but not as livid as Sakura appeared to be.

"Sasuke asked for a leave of absence for a few weeks after their Chuunin exam," Kakashi explained curtly. "I figure Orochimaru did get to him, even if his brother and I were keeping him under strict surveillance."

Sakura didn't listen to her former sensei. "Sasuke! Goddammit, listen to me! Put that thing back!"

The youngest Uchiha laughed. "Why should I? I've never felt better. This curse seal is under my control, now that Orochimaru kicked the bucket. No pain at all."

His Sharingan took notice of how hard-pressed his cousin was with his opponent.

"You will see," he sneered at Sakura, "how great I will be now."

-X-

Kicking his opponent to gain an opening was all it took for Itachi to see why the battlefield was so quiet. Sakura was back on her feet, which was a relief for the stoic ANBU Captain, but why she was scowling so hard?

The figure that flew low and tackled the nin his cousin was fighting was so bizarre that he almost couldn't believe what his Sharingan eyes told him.

That monster was _his little brother_.

"Sasuke! NO!" Sakura screamed as she sprinted behind him. Pein noticed her right away.

"Ah, so she survived," he said in a frosty tone. "But not for long."

Itachi had no other choice but to run and parry the black spear once more, halting Pein's advance and engaging him in a new bout of Taijutsu. His Sharingan, though, was picking up new things in his system. The chakra the Akatsuki leader had was exhausting and somehow all the black piercings were concentrating a lot of his energy.

"I would appreciate it if you would move, Uchiha-san," the man said conversationally. "I have someone to kill in retaliation."

Itachi blinked and frowned. Like he was going to allow him to get closer to Sakura. "You leave me no choice, Pein-san," he answered smoothly, as his hands flew in a flurry of hand-seals that he hadn't performed, ever.

He only hoped he had copied the technique just right.

-X-

Shisui gaped unabashedly at the freak of nature his little cousin had become. He had caught Sakura's form in her flight though, having no qualms in pushing her back to keep her in line.

"What the hell, Sakura?" he shouted, "You can't interfere-"

"Fuck if I let Sasuke get consumed by that stupid curse seal!" Sakura yelled at him. "That thing will kill him if he uses it too much!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" he started to say, but a sharp intake of air was all it took for Shisui to shut up and turn to see the wide arc of Sasuke's katana swipe in the air, just over his former target, Tobi-

His Sharingan eyes widened in sudden fear. "Sasuke, no! He has a Sharingan! Sasuke!"

A burst of black flames sprang forward, Sasuke only having enough presence of mind to fly away to avoid them.

"Very good, very good!" Tobi celebrated with a smooth, refined tone, one very different from the cheery one the rest had heard from him. "You got a Mangekyou all by yourself, huh? I wonder who you had to kill to gain it."

Sasuke sneered. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Ah, kids these days are so disrespectful of their elders," Tobi wagged a finger at the younger Uchiha. "You should mind your tongue in front of the father of your clan, boy."

Shisui gaped once more, while Sakura looked puzzled.

"Isn't the clan founder... dead?" she whispered to her friend, who nodded numbly.

"Ah! But I'm not _that_ dead, you see, Sakura-san," Tobi appeared to have heard her and answered with a rich, deep chuckle. "I was just biding my time for a grand comeback. You all stumped my plans, but I'm sure we'll reach an understanding soon."

"Go to hell, old man," Sasuke snarled from the air, releasing a Katon Ryouka over the man, who didn't move and accepted the flames engulfing his body. Afterwards, he only walked to the side of the sudden blaze, looking as unscathed as he was before the jutsu hit him.

"This is so upsetting," he continued talking. "I only wanted to have one of my relatives with me in this scheme of mine. Apparently I thought too well of them...or too bad."

Yamato and Kakashi attacked him in a tandem move, but he slipped away once more. Sakura was perplexed; how on earth could he dematerialize his body just when the blow was about to hit him?

Together, both Uchiha and the two older ninja attacked their target mercilessly, but to no avail. It was a complete stalemate, and all of them knew it. The situation was getting more dangerous with every second.

Suddenly, a massive wave of red chakra flared behind them, startling them all.

Tobi, or Madara, as he claimed to be called, moved forward and struck... his curved kunai found purchase as he ripped through clothes and human flesh.

Dark eyes, wide and frozen, lost their light as their bearer went down to the ground.

Sakura screamed, rage and killing intent pouring from her every pore. "Yamato!"

Three male shouts of her name were unheeded, as she charged as a rampaging bull towards the orange-masked nin.

But then the strange Sharingan form spun and her entire world went red, with black clouds hovering over a deserted landscape filled with blood.

-XxX-

**AN:** I had to pull a massive battle scene like I did in Refraction. I was going to limit myself to Sakura's and Itachi's fights, but then I itched to write Shisui's, Kakashi's and all the others. Therefore, chopped-scenes-no-jutsu! I do hope I could pull it off satisfactorily for you, though.

As for the canon battles, you can imagine how it happened. Sasuke vs. Deidara was the less portrayed because it happened in the manga, disregarding the change of the location.

This was the chapter that gave me so much trouble for all those months of frustrated hiatus! I had to smoke enough crack to pull this off in a mildly believing manner, so... yeah. I hope you enjoyed it, though.

Oh, and one more thing. To **mystical spirits**, that was one really rude and offensive review. I truly don't care what you might think, but insulting me, my writing style, the way I develop _my_ plot, and my commitment to my stories - how in the seven hells Sakura is a Mary Sue, ahahaha, wtf! - and on top of that, comparing _my_ work to yours was incredibly backhanded and lame of you. One humongous review like that, arrogant and nasty, gained you a nice place within my banned list. That was incredibly offensive, so if you were trying to get a rise of me, congratulations, you did. Thankfully I have friends that convinced me not to make a voodoo doll of you and stick a few not needles in its head. However, calling you out on your holier-than-thou attitude was sort of mandatory. So here it is, enjoy your ban from my account because I don't want to hear from you again.

Not to mention how much I've stressed to my readers that English is not my main language – and the fact that I work hard to provide you all with an engaging story and a source of amusement, I find truly insulting when someone thinks they're doing me a favor by pointing out things that they _want_ to read. So even if I risk losing readers, I'm going to declare this for Hunter: there is no fluff in the horizon. This is a drama, a bunch of characters have died - and some others will also - so don't ask for something that really doesn't fit in the story.

Man, this is why I've been so wary of leaving my comfort zone. Anyway, I apologize for the drama-llama and let's move on with this, which I'm dying to see finished.

As always, many thanks to my dear MelissaRose85 for her sharp betaing skills, and to you guys for reading!


	13. Unravel

**Chapter ****13: Unravel**

**Warning:** Extreme violence notice still in effect.

-X-

"_...And after the dragon __hand-seal, the spark should trigger a chain effect, jumpstarting the brain and the heart simultaneously. Sadly, it involves a lot of chakra, if not a Kekkei Genkai as well."_

_Itachi mused over__ her words as they walked a portion of the road to Rain. Sai's demise was still fresh in their minds, but Itachi's stoic countenance helped Sakura to ground herself and not allow her mind and feelings to carry her away._

"_So it is not really a medical ninjutsu."_

"_It is, but only a minimal one. It's rather simple, actually. Someone who has a modicum of medical formation – which all of us have__ from the Academy – should understand and be able to perform this technique... but chakra control or a bloodline limit are factors to be considered in order to perform it with some amount of success."_

"_And the chakra reserves also," he pointed out. Sakura looked at him and nodded, her face blank and pale._

_It occurred to Itachi that she might have smiled at him if her teammate wasn't missing and his wasn't dead.__ However, they were running out of time._

"_I was told by Hogake-sama that you can perform the Creation Rebirth__ jutsu."_

_Her __viridian, sharp eyes glanced at him guardedly as they both descended from the trees. "Yes, I can do that."_

"_And I am wrong to venture you will be using it in your battle?"_

_Sakura stopped walking, watching him with narrowed eyes. "What is it to you?"_

_Itachi tilted his head. "There is no need to be so defensive, Sakura. I merely asked because I am worried for your wellbeing. I am well aware of the aftereffects of that particu__lar technique, since I witnessed Tsunade-sama fighting against Orochimaru."_

"_...Oh, sorry," Sakura lowered her eyes, contrite. "Yeah, she taught me that technique under strict orders not to release it without her authorization."_

"_And she gave it," Itachi remembered those cryptic words their__ blonde leader had directed to the pink-haired kunoichi. She nodded._

"_She's worried sick about Naruto, and she knows I've__ been accumulating enough chakra... just in case."_

_Itachi considered her for a long moment, as the others made their way forward without looking back. "And what about storing half of that chakra in a scroll, just in case?"_

_She blinked, confused. "Just in case of what?" she asked, watching how his dark eyes glinted with something akin to __malicious excitement as he pulled a scroll engraved with the Uchiha crest._

"_I have been thinking about that technique of yours..."_

-X-

The very earth shook under their feet when the angry roar connected with the atmosphere.

Many eyes turned to see the red wave of angry chakra that was building from the place where Naruto lay. Kakashi's eyes widened, now that Yamato had fallen... who would control the Kyuubi's maniacal rampage? Jiraiya's whereabouts were unknown, so it was impossible to determine if...

The Copy Ninja's eyes turned to see the prostrated body of his former female student, who was shaking uncontrollably, still under the genjutsu that the man in the orange mask had thrown her into.

It all had happened in a flash; Yamato's body fell in a wide arc, while Sakura charged at Tobi with all her strength. Yet another of her comrades had met their maker in battle and Kakashi understood that, even if she knew she hadn't had a chance, she had to do _something_.

Her reckless attack had proven some things: one, that she was a true Team Seven ninja; two, that she wasn't above of putting her own welfare on the line if that meant gaining a chance to defeat their enemy; and third, he and Shisui were able to see how the pin-wheeled Sharingan had performed the illusion, their own bloodline limits copying it in an instant.

Probably Sakura had done it on purpose. But knowing her psychological state since Naruto's abduction, Kakashi sorely doubted it.

Back to the task at hand, they had a very angry jinchuuriki on their hands, one that was currently developing its fourth tail.

Fuck.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had managed to hold his own as he snarled insults to the masked Akatsuki. He had noticed Naruto's transformation, and yet he hadn't done anything to attempt to contain his friend.

Only when the chakra-cloaked Naruto jumped into the fray, directing his first swipe at the orange-haired man that was battling Itachi, did the battle begin again. Faster than lightning, he had teleported next to them, leaving the rampaging Naruto alone to deal with the Akatsuki Leader.

"What the hell are you doing, Itachi?" Shisui queried nervously. "We don't know if this Pein guy-"

"Shisui," he cut off his cousin sharply. "Look to your right."

A white mane was flowing in the wind, making Kakashi heave a relieved sigh.

"Hatake, please go help Jiraiya-sama. My cousin and I will deal with this... Madara."

What the silver-haired ninja didn't know was that Itachi was sympathizing wholeheartedly with the kyuubi's wrath.

It was high time the Akatsuki fell.

-X-

Red eyes confronted red eyes. Itachi was well aware that Sakura was under a genjutsu so strong that not even she, a natural genjutsu user, was able to break it. He was angry at her, of course, but his temper cooled off when a fine line of blood trickled from her mouth.

"It is quite a handy genjutsu," the masked Akatsuki said mockingly. "Tsukiyomi, one of the three forbidden techniques of the Mangekyou Sharingan. I have to say it has become one of my favorites."

"The black fire," Shisui questioned, his usual cheery tone gone and replaced by a cold, hard one. Madara chuckled softly.

"How observant of you, my young descendant. The sacred black fire is named after the Goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu."

"Which one is the third?" Itachi asked flatly. "Two actively attack-type techniques with the names of two of the three Gods of the Heavens. Am I wrong to guess the third one is called Susanoo, and is, in fact, a defensive-type jutsu?"

He could feel the heat of both the Kyuubi's chakra and the angry look Madara directed at him. He had hit a bulls-eye with his question.

"I believe your title is truly earned, Itachi," the older nin said in a mild sneer. "I should have gone to you first. It is not too late, though," Madara added, his voice changing into a fairly persuasive, purring tone. "I am well aware of the failings and vices that lie within the Uchiha clan – _my_ clan."

"You know _nothing_," Shisui sneered, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"Oh, but I know enough, Shisui," Madara pressed on, as he leaned over Sakura's body and lifted her up effortlessly, an arm around her waist and cradling her head on his shoulder. Itachi felt his chin tensing with the gritting of his teeth. "I know that there is a distinctive lack of trained medical staff within our dear family. Diphtheria should be easily treatable, but the Uchiha pride is so strong that the Clan Head simply couldn't ask the Sandaime Hokage for medical attention. In the end, even the Clan Lady fell under this disease. Deaths that should have been avoided, but they weren't, merely because of that stupid pride our family has."

"I would not put it past Akatsuki to attack Konoha through a biological weapon," Itachi observed mildly, although his head was reeling, tying loose ends. He knew that Sasuke was listening, and if his little brother was smart, he would make the connection soon.

Madara laughed. "Let's just say that Kabuto has served me well, even if in the end he turned on the organization and fled with his master; he got everything done."

Itachi realized the grand implications of that strange bout of disease. His and Sasuke's mother, Shisui's father... Sakura's parents.

"So you do not deny it?" Shisui asked, gripping his katana. "You basically killed your own kin and part of the villagers on a whim?"

"Oh no, young Shisui, not on a whim," he answered smoothly, letting Sakura's body fold itself over her back. Both Uchiha tensed. "Whether I ordered the contaminations of the water supplies or not, it is of no importance. What you three should ask yourselves is: how did I manage to slip into the District and do as I pleased? It is not that hard to perceive how deep the clan has fallen into corruption and decadence."

Sasuke, Itachi, and Shisui kept silent. The three of them knew how bad the clan politics were nowadays, thanks to overeager and ambitious elders.

Even their Father and Clan Head. They had heard them talking ill about the village's government more than once.

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "As much as I want to keep discussing politics with a decrepit outsider, one must consider how much influence you have within the clan nowadays," he said smoothly, drawing attention to himself and not even bothering to acknowledge the deafening roar that rocked the shattered battlefield. "It is obvious you have made your presence known among the elders. Poisoning their minds with thoughts of rebellion should not be that hard, since almost all of them are easily swayed by the promise of power."

The crash that resounded was so loud that Sasuke had to move his eyes from his target, noticing that Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Naruto had finally cornered the Akatsuki Leader.

"That man is not the leader," he murmured, his hard voice certain. "_You are_. You hid behind that mask and moronic attitude and funded this organization to fuel your revenge against the Uchiha... and Konoha."

"How clever, Sasuke-kun!" Madara nodded his head in mocking acquiescence, making Sakura's lean body sway with his movements. "That was not very hard to conclude, was it? Of course, I have the feeling you knew thanks to your little dalliance with Orochimaru. That pushy snake never knew when to leave things alone."

"It's over, Madara," Shisui snarled, gripping his ninjatô. "This ends here."

"Of course it does, boy," the masked man nodded, his Sharingan spinning with a wicked glint. "Let's just hope everything goes down as it should."

-X-

As Naruto was delivering the second to last blow, Jiraiya's voice finally reached his subconscious.

"Gaki! Snap out of it already!"

As the Kyuubi's wild consciousness started to retreat to the seal in his navel, the blond ninja's eyes returned to their lucid state, albeit their color was still red. The chakra cloak was still in place, draped over his body, though Naruto had recovered his senses.

The fall of the man that had helped him train and control the beast within had snapped his control. The mere thought of other comrades – his comrades – falling as well was enough to make him fight the bijuu to gain his body back.

It had helped also that Jiraiya had arrived at just the precise time. Six tails was plenty of energy to spend, and consciousness battle aside, the orange-haired man had been asking for a fight since he learned of the manhunt the Akatsuki organization had ordered on the jinchuuriki's head.

A hunched Kakashi was standing a few steps back, protecting the gashes that Pein's black rods had provoked in the silver-haired man's body. Jiraiya, however, was the most injured of all.

"Naruto, step back," the Sannin ordered in a no-nonsense tone. "This is something I must do."

Obeying the command, the blond shinobi retreated, his attention on his former sensei.

"You okay, Kakashi-sensei?" his raspy voice, a byproduct of the Kyuubi's chakra running over his body like a shroud. The Copy Ninja nodded, turning his head slightly to the battle between the Uchiha.

"We should keep an eye on them," he said simply. "That man is more dangerous than this one-"

A pained grunt and a sigh marked the end of the Akatsuki Leader, by the hands of the Toad Sannin. Looking mauled and exhausted, the old ninja fell to his knees.

Naruto's cloak disappeared as he hurried over to his mentor.

"It's okay, gaki," the white-haired man wheezed. "I just need a little rest."

"Don't worry, Ero-sennin," Naruto's voice was now clear and filled with worry. "We'll get Sakura-chan to patch you up. You'll be fine in no time, you'll see..."

Jiraiya's eyes smiled before closing.

-X-

Down the field, the Uchiha battle was turning rapidly towards disaster.

More than once, the curved kunai that Madara favored so much found purchase on the three Uchiha cousins. Gashes and slashes of the varied kind were now adorning their bodies; and what was more infuriating, none of their attacks had hit the enemy, much to Shisui's frustration.

"Now what?" he hissed to Itachi. "Nothing can hit that geezer. I should use that thing I just copied-"

"No," the ANBU Captain interrupted abruptly. "It is too dangerous. You do not know the effect that jutsu would have on your body."

"And Sakura is still KO," Shisui heaved an irritated sigh, noting how Itachi's chin tightened with the gritting of his teeth. "I'm worried about her."

"So am I," his cousin surprisingly admitted. "She is a natural genjutsu type."

The implications of his statement were enough for Shisui. If she hadn't woken up by now... there was a possibility that she wouldn't.

Deciding his next move was instantaneous. "Let's try the sixty-sixth maneuver," he said, not paying attention to the suspicious glance his Captain directed at him. "I'll go left. Let Sasuke figure how to attack from up there."

"Shisui-" Itachi started to say, but his older cousin cut him off.

"You can punish me later, taichou," he said cheekily. "I'll try this now. You with me?"

Without waiting for an answer, he took off like an arrow released by a bow. Itachi followed, their steps light and moving forward with a purpose.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was simmering in anger. Everything that Madara had spouted behind his orange mask was outrageous. His mother, dead because this decrepit bastard wanted to teach them a lesson, was something he could even begin to fathom. Shisui's father and even Sakura's parents fell to this.

How could no one see that outbreak as an attack? How come the Sandaime or even the Godaime hadn't seen this?

Even as the words were flying around his head, Sasuke knew it was basically impossible for someone to determine that the disease was an organized plot against his clan, against Konoha.

Watching his brother and cousin flash-stepping towards their quarry, Sasuke knew what he had to do.

Three mouths unleashed the same Katon jutsu on the man from three different directions. The strengthened Gokakyuu technique illuminated the field, lighting up several pieces of rubble.

But still, the alleged clan founder showed no sign of damage. His cloak wasn't even singed.

A surge of cold air stirred and raised the flames on the scattered remains, while behind his mask, Madara let out a sound of annoyance.

"Poor, misguided Nagato," he said, shaking his head. "He had to die to see the true extent of his errors."

"And while he was at it," Sasuke's sneering tone was darkly amused, "he deactivated that summoning statue."

"Your pawn is dead," Shisui mimicked his youngest cousin haughty sneer.

"You are alone," Itachi completed in a flat, cold tone.

"And you will die now," Shisui interjected, tossing caution to the wind and calling forth the genjutsu he had copied from his enemy.

A massive wave of pain flooded his brain; the genjutsu was way too strong for his Kekkei Genkai. It was one wicked technique, as he realized the extent of its effect. It was like a black space, waiting to be filled with whatever grueling illusion he could place to break the opponent's fighting spirit.

"Shisui!" Sasuke yelled, as Itachi's eyes widened with the sight, and his heart stung with the horrific realization.

The Uchiha cousin stood there, his Sharingan spinning in a backwards motion. Then, Madara phased out of his spot and planted both kunai in his body. Itachi flashed himself behind his enemy, his ninjatô finding a mark as he plunged the blade mercilessly in Madara's heart.

But the choked gurgle that came out of the masked nin wasn't the sound he had expected.

Itachi drew a sharp breath as his hands flew. "Kai!"

The illusion dispelled, only to realize how wrong he had been.

Madara let out a deep laugh as Itachi's hands wrapped around his cousin's slumped body.

"Tsukiyomi is quite the versatile technique," he mocked. "I can cast any genjutsu I want with just a glance. You have been under the illusion since you left Pein, Itachi."

"You bastard!" Sasuke snarled, swinging down and engaging the enemy with his katana.

Itachi stood there, frozen with the shocking, horrible realization.

_He had killed his cousin_.

Shisui's head lolled to a side, his eyes already dull with the loss of life. Itachi's Sharingan eyes detailed how his only friend's face was paling slowly, as the wound in his heart poured all the blood contained within his body, staining both their white uniforms.

"Cousin," he whispered, flexing his knees and depositing the body on the ground as gently as he could. The ninjatô was still embedded, and for the second time in his life Itachi experienced true despair as the familiar feeling of loss gripped his very soul.

"... I am so sorry."

His hand shook when he raised it over Shisui's face. Two slender fingers drew a light line over his cousin's eyes, closing his onyx orbs to the world.

Itachi's lips tightened in a determined line, as a wave of cold fury washed over him. "I will avenge you, brother."

A stab of sharp pain made him close his eyes as his lips finished that whispered statement. He felt his eyes burning, chakra was poured forth as Itachi felt how his Sharingan shifted and developed onto a new stage.

He didn't need to see his reflection to see that he had gained the Mangekyou Sharingan.

And now, suicidal move or not, he was going to fulfill his promise to Shisui.

The techniques he had seen from Madara and Sasuke now made much sense as his new eyes reviewed what he had copied before. The Tsukiyomi now seemed much easier to perform.

But that wasn't the technique he wanted to call forth.

Itachi didn't feel the line of blood that streaked down his cheek as he whispered the name of the Goddess of the Sun.

Sasuke elevated once more towards the sky, narrowly avoiding the black fire that shot up from the charred earth. It was a bit surprising, but something he kind of expected now that his cousin's body lay cold on the ground.

"Oh, so you gained the Mangekyou, Itachi," Madara's voice taunted without humor. "It was really a bad form to have Orochimaru approach your brother instead of going directly to the heir, the tensai of the clan," he continued as he waved dismissively to Sasuke, who had landed back on the ground. "Your little bother is pathetic, I have to say. I had to pull back from the coup plans when he rejected the snake's plans."

"Bullshit!" Sasuke snarled. "That foolish snake only wanted an Uchiha body to experiment with the Sharingan. I wasn't about to give him my own."

"Of course," Madara nodded in mock understanding. "You planned to give him your brother's or your cousin's body, correct? When your plan backfired you simply ignored the summons from the snake through the seal. It would have been poetic, would it not, to have the sons of the Head family massacre the entire clan in one night?"

"It would have been simply beautiful. Too bad that you did not fall for the scheme I had devised so carefully. A coup d'état, a fitting revenge against the Senju; it would have been quite the irony that the Uchiha Clan overthrew the Hokage and took over Leaf leadership. But Danzou did not fall for it, sadly. The Uchiha elders were so keen on having you as their champion, Itachi, that they didn't see my own champion. Your little brother."

"You lie," Itachi said firmly, but doubt was already forming in his head. Had he deserted his little brother so badly that he looked for guidance somewhere else? "Sasuke is loyal to our family."

"Ah, of course he is!" Madara's tone was amused. "He is quite the model son and obedient clansman, right? He strives to protect his clan as much as he can. But you need to ask yourself, Itachi... did you shield him enough from the elders' taunts and undermining commentary? It seemed to me that Orochimaru gained an ally since day one because you weren't there for your otouto. But he was a model student for the snake, apparently. It was a true pity that you allowed him to mark you, Sasuke-kun. Now your body is tainted. I have to wonder, though, where did you find enough information on the cursed seal to modify the one on your shoulder."

Sasuke's grin bordered on maniacal. "Why, the Uchiha Shrine, of course," he shot back without shame. "That same Shrine that holds the scroll about the secret Mangekyou techniques, detailing how to gain the forbidden Sharingan level. Unfortunately, aniki's newly improved doujutsu only proves the directives on the scroll true. Too bad that mine wasn't gained through the regular instructions," he finished with a light laugh.

"Who would have thought that you actually have a brain in that jealous head of yours, gaki?" Madara retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "That scroll has always been a nuisance. If it weren't for it my vengeance on that desecrated clan would have been completed eons ago. Senju Hashirama was dumb enough to trust that wretched thing to your grandfather, when in truth it was high time to destroy it. Why he did not, I ask? It seems to me now that even Fugaku's father was aware of the isolation the Hokage had placed on the clan. Why keep the scroll then, if it was not to have been a final hidden card, a last resort to gain power?"

"Your scheme would have worked if you had captured the Jinchuuriki in their tail order. It would have been a good plan, if you went for Sabaku no Gaara first, instead of the ever ill-tempered Kyuubi. Your plan failed because you underestimated Konoha... and the clan you desecrated and abandoned," Itachi intervened, figuring out the whole picture. Sasuke had been but a pawn in the whole thing. He paled inwardly to the hypothetical scenario. What if it had been him? He could have played devil's advocate and killed the entire clan in a maneuver to cleanse the corruption that festered within. Would he have been capable of terminating his family?

Of course he would, he realized. If the scheme was correct and the coup d'état was planned, the only way to put a stop to it was... exterminating the whole source.

What a horrifying thought.

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled angrily, breaking into Itachi's thoughts. "It was because of your meddling that my mother is dead! You don't care in the least for the clan you supposedly founded! Why kill us all to get revenge on the Hokage when you could do it yourself?"

"And now my opinion of you has dropped drastically, child," the masked nin sneered, walking to where Sakura's body lay. "I am powerful, but taking on the Hokage's forces would have been suicide. Even the Sandaime, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was regarded as one of the most skilled shinobi in Fire Country when he was younger. He could have killed Orochimaru if he wished, but his heart... his heart was soft and weak, in true Leaf fashion."

"However," Itachi cut the discussion, "You miscalculated, Madara, just as Kakuzu miscalculated. The old ways might have worked back in your time, but eventually, everything evolves into a new state. You stayed behind."

Unheeding the taunt and picking Sakura's limp form gently, Madara observed that both Uchiha brothers tensed. "One of the main examples of Konoha's weakness. A delicate, fragile flower about to be crushed under the onslaught of the primal fire."

"Let her go!" Sasuke yelled, noting out of the corner of his eye that Naruto and Kakashi had started running towards them. The time was now.

"So this is your weakness as well, Sasuke? Yours, Itachi? You two are nothing but fools."

With a wide arc, Madara threw Sakura's body towards one of the black bonfires that still burned. Seeing the properties of that accursed fire, which ate everything and didn't allow itself to be put out with water like a normal flame, it was sure that she would burn in an instant if...

Sasuke moved, only to stop when he saw Itachi jumping over the line of her fall, catching her nimbly in his arms. His hands cradled her gently to him, as his newly gained Sharingan roved over her unconscious face.

It was only then that the young Uchiha understood the true extent of his aniki's feelings for his pink-haired teammate.

"So it was true..." he whispered, before raising his chakra in a wave of scorching rage.

"Sasuke," Itachi called, but it was too late.

"Stand back! He is going to die by my hands!"

A strong wind shook their forms as a humongous cloud gathered unnaturally over their heads. A strong smell of ozone filled the air, and the sound of thunder reverberated through the field.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto's sudden scream was lost to the youngest Uchiha, as he lifted his hands to the heavens.

"Kirin!"

The effect was devastating. Ripples of electricity hit Sasuke's body as the current took a canine-like, beastly form. The Uchiha's eyes cried blood as his final and most powerful jutsu was built.

"This is the last time you destroy someone's life, Uchiha!"

Itachi had no other choice but to jump away, carrying Sakura's body with him towards the rest of Team Seven, who quickly took cover from the massive electrical storm. The ensuing explosion rocked the very foundations of Rain's Village, shattering the neighboring buildings and crumbling them to piles of rubble.

Leaving Sakura with a burnt-looking Naruto, Itachi teleported back outside, fearing the worst.

In the slowly clearing field, a deep crater had been carved; a charred, mangled form lying in the center.

Itachi ran.

"... Sasuke?"

-XxX-

**AN:** Yup, I did. I went there. 8D

If you didn't get it, Sasuke knew part of Madara's scheme against the Uchiha clan, but never occurred to him that the clan founder was the one that concocted the idea. He only thought that it was Orochimaru's doing, seeing that he claimed – while he was training Sasuke under Itachi and Team Seven's very nose – to be the wronged party during his exile. In the end, Sasuke disregarded his whining for what it was, emo grumpy bitching, without realizing that his comments were based loosely on Madara's plan. Sorry if I couldn't explain it properly.

Regarding Shisui... he was destined to die since chapter one. You have _no idea_ how much it pained me to kill him. In a battle so great like this one, it was bound for losses to occur. Shisui was the key to Itachi's Mangekyou in canon as well, so I thought fitting for him to help his cousin one last time before he kicked the bucket. But my dear Shisui lives in my heart, and I can promise now I will portray him more in another story I'm planning.

Sakura is no Mary Sue like a person so rudely pointed out. She is out because she took the whole Tsukiyomi technique in her head, falling in it like a card castle because she really didn't see it coming. When Itachi placed this jutsu on Sasuke and Kakashi in the manga, I realized that the technique should have been quite strong to place both of them under a coma. Sakura, while she is a natural genjutsu user, and the fact that she was caught off guard, clearly is no match to the brunt of the whole technique, especially if it was cast by a ruthless son of a bitch like Madara.

Madara... he is one serious bitch to write, in both characterizations of his.

Oh, and one more thing. Since Sasuke is the only one that knows about the Mangekyou and Itachi just gained it, Kakashi does not have it. Gods bless Alternate Realities!

Once more, my deepest thanks to MelissaRose85 for her sharp betaing skills, and to you all for reading. Only two more left!


	14. You Only Live Twice

**Final Chapter****: You Only Live Twice**

-X-

His steps froze when he took sight of his little brother... or what was left of him.

"Kami-sama," he breathed as he approached, looking everywhere for a sign of their enemy.

There was none.

"... Sasuke?"

The blackened form stirred. "...Nii-...san?" His voice was rough. "I... I did it, Nii-san..."

"When did you learn such a technique, Sasuke..." he asked in a low tone, wishing for everything, for Sakura to wake up, for him to be in is little brother's place, to have medical abilities... but even his new eyes were telling him that Sasuke had no way out of what he had brought upon himself.

"I just... performed Kirin... to blind... the bastard," the youngest Uchiha said with a wet chuckle, coughing up a mouthful of blood. "Then I used another... it doesn't have a name... I just sucked him... away in a vortex."

Itachi realized that it must have been a time-space jutsu. Something ever rarer than the massive amount of electrical chakra he had witnessed gathering about his little brother's head.

"I am sorry, otouto," he kneeled next to him. "I should have-"

"No," Sasuke wheezed, cutting him off. "I did this... willingly. I was so... intent... on surpassing you... that I forgot... the important things in life," he added, looking with the only onyx eye he had left towards the three people approaching them. Sakura was still out like a light. "She needs... to wake up... before... her mind gives out."

"Sasuke, don't speak, teme," Naruto said as he lay their teammate next to him. "We'll wake Sakura-chan up and she will patch you up like she always does," he babbled, azure eyes tearing up as he took in just how badly damaged Sasuke's body was.

"Gomen," Sasuke paid no heed to Naruto's plead. "I was... wrong. I should have... trusted you all. I should... have told Nii-san about... the seal... and the scroll... I shouldn't... I shouldn't have pushed... her away. She... must hate me now."

"Sakura doesn't hate you, Sasuke," Kakashi said, kneeling next to him with a pained grunt. "We are her special people. _You_ are her most special person."

"No... I _was_ but not... anymore. Now it's... another one... who will take care... of her like I should... have..."

"Otouto," Itachi started, but Sasuke shook his blackened head minutely.

"Please, Nii-san... forgive me... please... tell her... I'm sorry... and please take... care of her. Make Konoha... her safe place..."

"No, Sasuke, no! I'll wake her up now..." Naruto grabbed her body and shook her gently. "Sakura-chan? C'mon, Sakura-chan, we need you! Wake up, please!"

But she didn't answer, and Sasuke was drifting away.

"Kaa-san... you came for... me?"

"He's delirious," Kakashi reported softly. "Itachi, what do you want-"

"... I don't know," the barely audible whisper struck them hard. The Uchiha ANBU Captain _always_ knew what to do. "I don't... know..."

"Sasuke! Focus, dammit!"

"Naruto... Kakashi... Sakura... Nii-san... _thank you_."

The blond jinchuuriki's roar of pain called the attention of their nakama, as they made their way to them through the rubble.

-X-

Twelve and a half hours later and back in Fire Country, Sakura still hadn't had woken up completely yet. She responded to pain and light stimulus, but her conscience was still out.

Naruto, understandably, was beside himself with worry and grief. The civilian medic of Border Town had tried everything and Sakura was still unconscious. Her heart rate was elevated, as if she were fighting something within her mind. Her eyes moved under closed lids, looking to the casual observer as if she was merely experiencing a bad dream.

But the males that sat next to her knew better.

Kakashi had sent the medic away from him, instead telling her in a steely voice for her to focus her skills on their female teammate. Meanwhile, Naruto leaned on her hand and it was obvious that he wasn't keen on letting go.

Itachi sighed deeply. They hadn't slept, worrying over her. He had busied himself in sending a message to the Hokage, briefing her about the outcome of the battle, and the casualties they had suffered. She had dispatched another jounin-ranked medical team to help, but the injured shinobi were too many for the town's civilian healer.

They had carried Sasuke's body wrapped in Naruto's cloak. As Shisui and Yamato had been ANBU, they were given the funerary rituals the ninja way. As they burned in sacred, clean blue fire, the pyres served as the first sign of loss for the Konoha shinobi. Shikamaru and Gai had departed from Border Town, but not before giving the lingering ninja their sincerest condolences as they took their own teammates' remains back to Fire Country.

No matter how set in stone the Shinobi Rules were, the loss of a comrade always struck hard.

Sending a message to his father and the elders of the clan had been of utmost importance, seeing that one of the Head's sons had fallen in battle. The missive was brief and to the point, the parchment of the scroll tied to a hawk and sent away without any remorse for the curtness of the letter.

He would deal with them later.

For now, he needed to do something for Sakura. The reanimation technique he copied from her seemed like a good idea to help her break her state. He needed time to allow his chakra to replenish somewhat - but still, he needed more energy.

"So you think this will work?" Naruto asked for the sixth time. Itachi nodded, taking a deep breath.

"I don't have enough chakra for this," he explained. "And I'm not willing to wait for it to rebuild in my system. She needs to wake up _now_."

"Your hands will probably burn from the chakra output," Kakashi warned. "We three have different elements after all."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

The Copy Ninja and the blond jinchuuriki looked at each other and nodded.

Itachi only hoped he was doing it right, as his hands went through the seals.

-X-

Kakashi heaved a relieved breath when she opened her eyes.

Tired, injured, and emotionally exhausted, he could only watch as Naruto cradled Sakura's head as he welcomed her back to the waking world.

"What... happened?" she whispered. Pale, and with haunted eyes, her brother shook his head.

A slow glance around the large room made her notice the obvious. "Where's... Sasuke?"

Naruto lowered his head to her stomach, and she seemed to understand.

Running her fingers through golden hair as she silently cried with Naruto, her other hand slid to Itachi's, squeezing his burned fingers in a soft but firm clasp, her green energy sealing his burns without a single word. Kakashi listened to those gentle, shushing sounds she made as her tears lodged themselves in her mussed hair, trying to comfort the three of them at the same time.

The hand that was on Naruto's head extended to him, and when he took it gently, he could feel her chakra mending his internal wounds, bringing him relief and peace. He tried to stop her, to tell her she was still in a delicate state, but she only shook her head and beckoned him closer, closing his injuries and healing his soul.

The Copy Ninja was no fool. That gesture, no matter how small it was, comforted the three of them more that he would be willing to acknowledge. The hands that had healed them all so many times were moving slowly but surely, soothing another ache, and he had to admit that he was content with this and nothing more.

Tomorrow would be another day.

-X-

Itachi's mind was still on the moment where he felt his consciousness enter Sakura's mind, as they walked through the thick foliage of the Land of Fire, their country.

Sakura was still weak from her previous comatose state, but she managed to stay awake for the majority of their journey back home. Speaking in whispers with Naruto as he carried her on his back, scolding Kakashi softly when it was his turn to transport her.

Placing her head in a trusting gesture on his shoulder when he carried her in his bandaged arms.

No words were needed. The silence was enough for them to convey how emotionally taxing the mission had been. Sakura only had to look at him with those lively, worried eyes to make him want to keep holding her; no matter how annoying he initially thought her incessant worry.

Tsukiyomi, he realized, was beyond anyone's guess about a wicked genjutsu. The fact that a mental representation of Sakura had been strapped to a cross and took all the katana wounds from a beastly-looking Madara without breaking down was remarkable enough for him to burn that fact into his memory.

As soon as his irritated fist broke through Madara's head, the red skies cleared and the black clouds evaporated, leaving a warm, golden sunset in Konoha.

Terminating the illusion was easy now, with the Mangekyou Sharingan at his disposal. The tricky part was revisiting Sakura's moments of failure, and trying to convince her that sometimes, there were no available solutions to certain situations.

The first time she had to deal with bullies at the Academy. The first moment she decided to face the Sound team to protect her unconscious teammates. The instant she had her heart crushed by his little brother for the first time out of many.

Her parents' deaths. The moment she decided to pursue the medical field of the shinobi profession under the Godaime's guidance. The demise of her first patient.

Her confrontation and the humiliation dealt to her by his father. Her mini-battle with Kisame at the Fire Palace. Her desperate battle against Sasori. Sai's death.

Having the Mangekyou and a better understanding of the Tsukiyomi he found out that he could manipulate the scenes shown to him, so he searched for positive events; the moments that she could say were decisive to her life.

Her first friend. How she gained the upper hand on her skirmish against those Sound ninja in the Forest of Death. The first moment she found out that her chakra control was superior to all the ninja she knew in her little world.

The moment she helped deliver a mother's first baby. Those little episodes during her grueling training when Tsunade praised her for her hard work.

The moment he kissed her at her home, comforting, warm and filled with a light feeling.

Itachi opened his eyes a second before she did.

Only then did he allow himself to let out a relieved breath.

Konoha was up ahead, and then... it was time to set things right.

-X-

Tsunade had been beside herself with fury during the briefing when they finally returned. Everything had been beyond anyone's imagination.

So many deaths in that battle, she sighed. It made her think of how many people had to die to keep their peace.

It took Sakura a few more days and a good chakra infusion from her shishou to return to full health. But her emotional state was badly wounded, Tsunade observed. Not only because of Sasuke's death, but also because of the rest of the losses. Gai's and Nara's team suffered casualties as well, Lee and Ino. Not to mention that it seemed that Team Seven had made quite the strong bonds with those ANBU Alpha Team members.

And Jiraiya. She had to grit her teeth to keep herself from falling apart again.

Being honest, her keen eye had seen Uchiha Itachi glancing at her pink-haired protégé more times that he would ever admit.

Tsunade smiled softly to herself. She could approve of this, seeing that Itachi had been doing some remodeling inside his family.

Sasuke's fall, along with Shisui's, had finally provoked quite the turmoil within the Uchiha clan, especially when the heir basically forced his father to abdicate headship to him. Fugaku simply could not refuse the demand under the newly evolved eyes of his eldest son, who had no qualms in threatening the whole clan, blackmailing them with Madara's coup d'état scheme – known by the Hokage now and thus gaining the upper hand on the Uchiha – and telling them in precise terms that further plans to destabilize the Hokage's chain of command would result in a complete disbanding and banning of the clan.

Meanwhile, Naruto had spent a few days with Sakura, conversing about what would happen with them, with the team, as now they were one member short, and the only other person that would have been a great teammate had been lost as well. Tsunade had caught them talking in Sakura's hospital room.

"Sai would have been a great asset for Team Seven," Naruto said with a sigh.

"Yeah," Sakura answered, a rustle of fabric told the Hokage that her apprentice had sat up on the bed. "Yamato, too."

"I bet Shisui would have been quite the teammate, with that quirky sense of humor of his."

"I don't doubt it," she sighed softly. "Do you think Kakashi-sensei will want to remain with us now?"

"Why do you say that? He's part of our team, like, our family. I don't think he would leave us hanging like that."

She made a non-committal sound. "What are we gonna do now, Naruto? The balance is off..."

"Well... I kind of wanted to go ANBU," he started, but a sharp intake of air had him raising his voice in a placating tone, "but I don't want to now! We saw how they were... even with Itachi, things wouldn't be the same..."

"They won't be the same," she said, and Tsunade heard a muted sniffle.

"C'mon, Sakura-chan... don't cry... I promise I won't enter ANBU, ever. In fact, it would be better for me if I start badgering baa-chan for her to give me the Hokage position, don't you think?"

The answer was a wet laugh, "I don't think she would take that lightly..."

"Let's remain here at home for a while, Sakura-chan. We need to think about things... and what about you, what do you want to do?"

"The hospital," she said simply, with a final sniffle. "This will be my life now. I don't... I don't want to be unable to heal someone who needs me ever again."

"It wasn't your-"

"... Itachi said that too, that it wasn't my fault," she interrupted him. "But somehow I feel... like I failed him. If I had been awake..."

"We don't know for sure if you would have survived long enough, Sakura-chan. This Madara bastard was one serious son of a bitch. Even Itachi and Shisui... and Sasuke..."

"I should have been awake to heal him..."

"No... you didn't see him, Sakura," Naruto whispered. "He was beyond help. Trust me on this."

There was a long moment of silence. Then, "You know... you saying I'm your brother... it has always made me happy," Naruto continued in a low voice. "Me and Sasuke... and even Kakashi-sensei... we _are_ still a family."

"And we always will be," Sakura's feeble voice contained tears again.

"Yeah... and having you on our back, defending us, protecting us and assuring us... we never thank you for it. We just took it for granted. Even Sasuke thanked you."

"You told me..."

"Maybe now is the time for us to finish growing up," he said, now in a determined tone. "Losing our important people only made us realize how precious life is, right? Well... I think I'm done with pranks and juvenile stuff now. I'll be a jounin... just like Kakashi-sensei, just like you, until the time is right."

"Naruto..." Sakura said in a soft tone that didn't hide her heartfelt pride, "you will be a great Hokage."

Outside, Tsunade agreed wholeheartedly.

-X-

The afternoon had been stifling, as the summer season was giving signs of its impending arrival. Leaving her home after days of pondering and meditating had been mandatory. After the paycheck of Naruto's retrieval mission came, she would move out of her childhood home.

Her home held bittersweet memories about her confinement and her life as a Team Seven member. She knew she needed change, she needed to start over.

No one dared to stop her in her stroll. The news about the outcome of the Akatsuki Battle – now labeled such by the whole village – shook Konoha to the ground. Outrageous rumors about the identity of the Akatsuki shinobi ran rampant throughout the masses, but thankfully no word of Uchiha Madara had been disseminated. She was sure that no Uchiha in their right mind would breathe any information to the populace at large, knowing that it would bring shame and embarrassment to the whole clan.

Having a day off from the hospital was rare for Haruno Sakura nowadays. She had devoted herself to the medical field, handling all the cases thrown her way with professionalism and excellent capability. Her bedside manner was sincere and gentle, even though a lot of people had commented that she always wore a sad smile.

Getting in sync with her new life after the disbanding of Team Seven was taking some time – Naruto was finally taken under Tsunade's wing and was learning the ropes of the Hokage position. Last time Sakura saw him, he had complained and whined for a long while about administrative tasks and the fact that as Hokage, he was going to be pretty much grounded to the village for an indeterminate amount of time. This was the worst part of being Konoha's leader, he had said, but he was determined to see this new challenge through, and Sakura simply knew he would succeed.

Kakashi, also, had decided to ask for a reprieve. Now he helped Shikamaru in some tactical and strategy tasks, both brilliant minds retired from active duty and being content just with their desk work. That is, when Kakashi even showed up at the office, much to Shikamaru's lazy annoyance. But Sakura was an optimist about their new partnership. After Ino's loss in the Akatsuki Battle, both Chouji and the Nara tensai were basically alone. The Ino-Shika-Chou trio would be no more, so the Akimichi decided to take a genin team while Shikamaru, ever practical, joined ANBU on the condition that he would remain tied to his desk. Tsunade understood.

As for Sakura, she knew that the empty place Sasuke had left in her heart would probably never heal. Itachi's absence from her life was only physical though. He took great care in sending her notes with one of his crows as often as he could. But taking over the reins of a clan, especially the way he had done it, only meant strife among the members of the Uchiha House, particularly from those most traditionalist of the elders who were also the most stubborn of all.

But still, she knew some of what had happened after he placed a lockdown on the District after the mission briefing with the Godaime. First, about Uchiha Fugaku. After the initial shock and wariness, he had come to understand how his firstborn ticked. Sasuke's loss did enough for both of them to help them realize that having a broken relationship was not the way to go. Fugaku had sided with his son after he graciously passed the title and position to him. The elders threw some heated accusations, prompting father and son to join against the harsh words of the old men.

It took a while, but Itachi's plan was slowly coming to fruition. Young members that looked up to him supported all his decisions and suggestions, and slowly but surely those elders were replaced by their own sons. The Uchiha council had new blood, new ideologies, and with Itachi at the helm they simply had the sky as their limit.

Sakura was glad to learn that the clan was finally coming out of its hostile shell.

But those short notes given by summoned crows weren't enough, she sighed softly as her feet directed her to the KIA Monument. Itachi's presence had been a constant source of reassurance of herself and her entire being, her beliefs, and her sanity. He had been adamant in the first of his missives:

He was not going to let the clan to come between them.

Itachi had also asked, in his underhanded way, for her to wait. She was happy to oblige, because she needed the time alone, and because she wasn't really comfortable with facing Itachi's father after all the offense he dealt her parents' memory.

The stone was a bit different, she observed as she neared it. Of course, Tsunade had already added the names of those who had been killed in the Akatsuki Battle.

Rock Lee. Yamanaka Ino. Sai. Yamato Tenzou. Uchiha Shisui.

Uchiha Sasuke.

Naruto had been very clear about his final state when he died. Sakura knew she should be grateful she hadn't seen him in that horrendous condition, but as a medic, she knew such a horrific burn of electrical nature, especially the huge amount of chakra Sasuke had spent creating and performing the Kirin, had to yield results none short of dismaying.

She didn't need to have a morbid mind to imagine how bad Sasuke had looked.

But then again, she had to accept Naruto's vague explanation and let the whole matter go. Sasuke was gone, after all.

Repeating his last words in her mind, her fingers traced the cold marble where his name was engraved.

Only then was she able to breathe a sigh, forgiving him in her heart.

"... Sakura."

Opening her eyes, she didn't have to turn around to see who had stepped on the Memorial field. "... Itachi."

A gloved hand had gently placed itself on her shoulder, silently asking for her to turn around.

Sakura let out a sigh as she turned and saw how haggard and haunted he looked. He had lost weight, and his eyes looked more prominent in his face with those pronounced stress marks under his eyes. Sakura's eyebrows drew up in concern.

"Itachi..." she whispered, bringing a hand to his cheek. His eyes closed as he enjoyed the warm of her palm against his skin. "You need to rest..."

"I have to ask you something first," he whispered. "I have... done everything I planned with the clan. The council... is filled to capacity with the new generation. I pushed them to move forward with a purpose, a goal to protect and honor our homeland."

Sakura's lips curved in a soft, proud smile. "You have done well, Itachi..."

"Yes. But there is still something I should have done, back then."

"No..." she said, closing her eyes. "I was the one who should have done something. I... I'm sorry. I should have saved him."

"I should be the one asking for forgiveness," he shook his head, sad onyx eyes going to the memorial stone, roving over the names. "I wish... for many things. I wish for my little brother to be here with the two of us. I wish for a better occasion to talk to you... and I wish I could help you, to just say the thing that will give you comfort, but I... do not have those words."

"I don't need words of comfort, Itachi," she said, taking his cold hands in hers, speaking in rapid tones, her throat spilling all the things she wanted to tell him since the last time they saw each other. "But I can give them to you if you need them! You were right... it wasn't my fault, but it wasn't your fault either... it was _his_ decision to make, and whatever consequences... he faced them with no fear. Like a true Konoha shinobi, like a faithful Uchiha. Like the proud man he was. Nothing either of us could have done would have convinced him not to do anything."

"Sasuke... he's a hero, our hero, and he will remain that way in our hearts."

"Our hero," he whispered, facing the stone. Sakura nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder as they stared silently to the monument. After a while, he shifted, prompting her to look at him.

"But... there's something else I need," he nodded, his eyes pinning to hers. "I never could have done this without you, Sakura. I... need you with me."

She blinked, caught in surprise. "You need... me?"

He nodded again. "I do. May I ask you formally?"

That feverish light he had in his eyes every time he was near her hadn't changed in the weeks they had spent apart. Itachi waited as she looked deeply at him, her mind processing what he was really requesting of her, until she understood.

Sakura looked around, as if committing every detail to memory. The monument at her side bore many names, and she looked for those she cared about.

The decision wasn't very hard to make.

"There's no need," she finally said, a soft smile and a blush lightly colored her features. "I will."

"You will stay with me?" he repeated, lowering his tone to that dulcet whisper she loved. Itachi breathed a deep sigh as she took his hand, and both traced their lost family's name. He was complete now. Before, he was just like a wild hunter, providing sustenance for its offspring, ensuring their safety, even at the ultimate cost.

"Yes. Always."

_- Tenna' ento lye omenta -_

-XxX-

"_All we have to believe with is our senses, the tools we use to perceive the world: our sight, our touch, our memory. If they lie to us, then nothing can be trusted. And even if we do not believe, then still we cannot travel in any other way than the road our senses show us; and we must walk that road to the end."_ ~ Neil Gaiman

-XxX-

AN: Oops, I managed to put everything in here. My planner kind of went to hell – I saw some details portrayed in other stories I follow because of my own tardiness in finishing this up, ahaha – and I realized it would be better to cram up everything in this last chapter.

Well, at least I can scream to the rooftops: THIS STORY IS OVER AND IT WON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF SEQUEL WHATSOFRIGGIN'EVER.

-Lets out a huge relieved sigh-

This is the last time I post something without finishing it first. Trying to fit stuff from the manga worked well for a moment, but everything wasn't to my entire liking. Not to mention the fact that the blocks hit me because I got nervous with the amount of attention this story got. But now it's over and now I can move on, thankfully.

I'd like to give my heartfelt thanks to all of you guys who gave this story a chance. Those who waited for me to kick my own ass into gear, and those who had kind words to me during my blocks. I really appreciate those minutes you spent reading and reviewing. _Thank you_, thank you all.

And I can't really give a proper ending to my author's notes without a huge declaration of gratitude to my dearest MelissaRose85, who is an amazing beta and an excellent friend.

Toodles!


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